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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. firm — steady
  8. pop — to visit
  9. race — the arms race
  10. lean — to bend
  11. hand — help
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stock — shares
  17. pop — music
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. firm — decided
  21. stock — goods
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pop — soda

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