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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. ball — a great time
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. race — the arms race
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. firm — decided
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mine — for digging
  10. branch — a division
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — steady
  14. race — a contest
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. race — humankind
  19. ball — a dance
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fine — all right

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