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

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. court — of a king
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stand — to bear
  6. prune — to trim
  7. saw — the tool
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. hand — help
  12. race — a contest
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. court — for sport
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mug — to rob
  23. court — of law
  24. hand — in cards

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