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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. staff — a stick
  5. race — the arms race
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fine — all right
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. race — humankind
  14. suit — clothes
  15. staff — employees
  16. pitch — completely
  17. kid — child
  18. suit — in cards
  19. fine — high quality
  20. dip — to sink
  21. staff — employees
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. dip — a sauce

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