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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. lie — to recline
  3. race — the arms race
  4. can — a tin
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. can — a tin
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. race — humankind
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. track — to keep track
  17. stock — shares
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. race — a contest
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stock — goods

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