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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. firm — a company
  3. rash — hasty
  4. race — humankind
  5. shower — to wash
  6. firm — decided
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. firm — steady
  12. land — to come down
  13. shower — rain
  14. track — a song
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. stand — to bear
  17. track — a path
  18. race — a contest
  19. land — a country
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. land — ground
  24. race — the arms 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