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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 120 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. cap — a lid
  8. last — to go on
  9. drill — the tool
  10. foot — a measure
  11. cap — of ice
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. last — final
  15. drill — army training
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. swing — music
  18. stand — to bear
  19. race — the arms race
  20. last — finally
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. race — humankind
  24. stand — on your feet

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