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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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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: object · pit · can · race · wind · tube · board · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wind — moving air
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. tube — a container
  9. can — a tin
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — a contest
  12. board — to get on
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pit — in a race
  15. object — a thing
  16. board — a committee
  17. pit — a hole
  18. can — to be able to
  19. object — to protest
  20. tube — the underground
  21. object — an aim
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

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

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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