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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. race — a contest
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — to protest
  5. stand — to bear
  6. kid — child
  7. race — the arms race
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. craft — a skill
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ground — crushed
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. kid — to tease
  15. ground — the earth
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. mug — to rob
  18. craft — boats
  19. object — an aim
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mug — a cup
  22. race — humankind
  23. mug — a face
  24. stand — for spectators

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