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

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fine — all right
  3. race — a contest
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. can — a tin
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fall — the season
  10. race — humankind
  11. fall — to drop
  12. can — to be able to
  13. present — there
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. present — a gift
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fall — to drop
  18. row — a line
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. present — the time now
  21. race — the arms race
  22. can — a tin
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fine — high quality

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