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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. tube — the underground
  5. fine — all right
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mine — for digging
  9. race — humankind
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. fine — high quality
  15. tube — a container
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fall — the season
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. saw — the tool

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