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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: race · tube · stick · fine · squash · scale · fall · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. race — the arms race
  3. squash — to crush
  4. race — a contest
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. race — humankind
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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