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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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cap — a hat
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. race — a contest
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. shower — rain
  13. stand — to bear
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. race — humankind
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. race — the arms race
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cap — of ice
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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