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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. tube — a container
  4. firm — a company
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. staff — employees
  12. stand — to bear
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. staff — employees
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. staff — a stick
  23. sharp — clever
  24. foot — a measure

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