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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. race — a contest
  3. mark — a grade
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bound — certain
  6. prune — to trim
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. prune — to trim
  10. race — humankind
  11. bound — tied together
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bound — obliged
  15. kid — child
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. kid — to tease
  18. mark — to pay attention

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