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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. last — final
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. face — to point toward
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. race — humankind
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. last — finally
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. race — the arms race
  21. chair — a leader
  22. last — to go on
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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