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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.

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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: hide · field · swing · deal · tube · ruler · bulb · race

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. swing — music
  5. tube — a container
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. field — a subject
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. race — a contest
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. race — the arms race
  17. tube — the underground
  18. deal — to handle
  19. field — for sport
  20. swing — in golf
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. field — farmland
  24. race — humankind

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