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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. ground — the earth
  4. race — a contest
  5. stand — to bear
  6. race — humankind
  7. net — in sport
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cell — a phone
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cell — in biology
  15. net — for catching
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. ground — crushed
  20. net — after costs
  21. fall — the season
  22. ground — a position
  23. race — the arms race
  24. object — to protest

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