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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · pitcher · tube · rock · patient · nail · race · kid

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. kid — child
  5. race — a contest
  6. rock — a stone
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. object — to protest
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. race — the arms race
  15. object — an aim
  16. rock — music
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. tube — the underground
  20. object — a thing
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tube — a container
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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