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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. race — a contest
  5. court — for sport
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. firm — steady
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rush — hurry
  19. firm — decided
  20. key — in music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. key — for a lock
  23. race — humankind
  24. firm — a company

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