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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. mug — to rob
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. mug — a cup
  7. saw — the tool
  8. object — a thing
  9. race — humankind
  10. object — to protest
  11. roll — a list
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. suit — to fit
  14. object — an aim
  15. roll — a cake
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mug — a face
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. suit — in cards
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. suit — clothes
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pitcher — a jug

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