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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: tube · chair · race · pop · nail · pit · march · bear

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pit — in a race
  5. race — the arms race
  6. march — the month
  7. race — a contest
  8. tube — a container
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pop — soda
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bear — the animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. march — the month
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. race — humankind
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. march — music
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pop — music

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