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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mine — for digging
  4. row — a line
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. race — the arms race
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. race — a contest
  11. fine — all right
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. drill — army training
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. race — humankind
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. row — to paddle

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