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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. season — in sport
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. race — a contest
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. race — the arms race
  12. tube — a container
  13. kid — child
  14. season — of the year
  15. kid — to tease
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. race — humankind
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fine — high quality
  21. tube — the underground
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. fine — all right

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