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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. track — to keep track
  11. race — humankind
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. race — a contest
  19. track — a path
  20. fork — in a road
  21. track — a song
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. race — the arms race

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