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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. firm — a company
  5. mug — a face
  6. court — for sport
  7. race — the arms race
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. firm — decided
  10. cap — of ice
  11. court — of a king
  12. firm — steady
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mug — to rob
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. race — humankind
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cap — a hat
  19. row — a line
  20. race — a contest
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. court — of law
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wake — a trail

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