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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fall — the season
  3. race — a contest
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. race — humankind
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. drill — the tool
  10. firm — a company
  11. date — the fruit
  12. drill — a practice
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. race — the arms race
  17. ball — a great time
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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