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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. race — humankind
  3. row — a line
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. row — to paddle
  6. firm — a company
  7. face — part of the head
  8. firm — steady
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. face — to point toward
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. game — wild animals
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. game — a match
  15. tube — a container
  16. field — a subject
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. field — farmland
  19. race — the arms race
  20. tube — the underground
  21. firm — decided
  22. race — a contest
  23. field — for sport
  24. face — to confront

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