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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. race — a contest
  3. track — a path
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. race — humankind
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. object — an aim
  8. stand — to bear
  9. object — a thing
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bat — the animal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. race — the arms race
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. object — to protest
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pitcher — a jug

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