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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. race — the arms race
  4. row — a line
  5. cue — for pool
  6. march — the month
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. race — humankind
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. march — the month
  12. charge — in control
  13. race — a contest
  14. cue — a signal
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lean — thin
  22. march — music
  23. cue — a hint
  24. charge — a price

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