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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. race — humankind
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. ground — crushed
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. race — a contest
  9. can — to be able to
  10. race — the arms race
  11. key — the most important part
  12. can — a tin
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. ground — the earth
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. key — in music
  22. bat — the animal
  23. ground — a position
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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