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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. foot — a measure
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. kick — in football
  19. lean — thin
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. race — humankind
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. coach — a trainer

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