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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. race — humankind
  3. track — a song
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. race — the arms race
  6. lean — to bend
  7. track — a path
  8. race — a contest
  9. mine — for digging
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. net — after costs
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. lean — thin
  15. field — farmland
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stand — to bear
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. track — to keep track

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