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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cell — a phone
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ball — a dance
  8. race — a contest
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. race — the arms race
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cell — in biology
  19. fine — all right
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. race — humankind

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