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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. ball — a dance
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bound — certain
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. land — a country
  10. race — humankind
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. land — ground
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. ball — a great time
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. land — to come down
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. race — the arms race
  24. fan — to cool the air

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