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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. toast — bread
  8. land — to come down
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pitch — completely
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. race — a contest
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. race — humankind
  22. land — a country
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mouse — the animal

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