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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pound — a weight
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — a contest
  5. cue — a hint
  6. season — of the year
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. race — humankind
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. field — farmland
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. season — in sport
  18. field — for sport
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. field — a subject
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wake — before a funeral

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