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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 116 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. race — humankind
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bear — the animal
  7. race — a contest
  8. can — to be able to
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. fine — high quality
  13. can — a tin
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fine — all right
  19. race — the arms race
  20. can — a tin
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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