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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. can — a tin
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. can — a tin
  15. race — a contest
  16. pit — a hole
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. band — a ring
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. band — a music group
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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