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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pop — music
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pop — soda
  8. firm — a company
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. face — to confront
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — a contest
  16. firm — decided
  17. mug — to rob
  18. face — to point toward
  19. firm — steady
  20. pop — to visit
  21. race — the arms race
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mug — a face
  24. stand — to bear

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