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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rock — a stone
  3. race — a contest
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rock — music
  7. can — a tin
  8. race — the arms race
  9. last — finally
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. last — to go on
  12. can — to be able to
  13. field — a subject
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. field — for sport
  17. can — a tin
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mug — a face
  20. bat — the animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. field — farmland
  23. last — final
  24. race — humankind

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