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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. kid — child
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. track — to keep track
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fall — the season
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kid — to tease
  14. race — humankind
  15. can — to be able to
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. can — a tin
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. fall — to drop
  21. can — a tin
  22. net — in sport
  23. race — the arms race
  24. sharp — clever

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