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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. cold — not warm
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cold — an illness
  9. rest — what's left
  10. race — humankind
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rest — a break
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. suit — clothes
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. prune — to trim
  21. charge — electricity
  22. race — a contest
  23. bowl — a dish
  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