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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. last — to go on
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. band — a ring
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. last — finally
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. chair — a leader
  11. race — the arms race
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. last — final
  14. band — a music group
  15. cue — for pool
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cue — a hint
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stand — to bear

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