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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. firm — a company
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. race — humankind
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. squash — to crush
  8. face — to confront
  9. fall — to drop
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fall — to drop
  12. firm — decided
  13. fine — high quality
  14. race — the arms race
  15. fine — all right
  16. firm — steady
  17. fall — the season
  18. face — to point toward
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. face — part of the head
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. race — a contest
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pitcher — a jug

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