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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. kid — child
  3. land — ground
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. race — a contest
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rush — hurry
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. land — a country
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. kid — to tease
  16. fine — all right
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. race — humankind
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. land — to come down

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