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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. row — a line
  3. stand — to bear
  4. row — to paddle
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. band — a ring
  7. chip — for betting
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. key — the most important part
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rash — a series
  15. kick — in football
  16. rash — hasty
  17. race — a contest
  18. chip — to eat
  19. race — the arms race
  20. key — in music
  21. band — a music group
  22. race — humankind
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. stand — on your feet

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