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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pit — a hole
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stand — to bear
  7. object — to protest
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mate — a friend
  16. ground — a position
  17. drill — army training
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. drill — the tool
  22. object — a thing
  23. race — the arms race
  24. calf — a young animal

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