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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · tube · field · fine · last · pop · shower · rule

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. sharp — clever
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. field — for sport
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fine — all right
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. field — farmland
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. last — final
  21. rule — government
  22. field — a subject
  23. shower — rain
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com