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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — a contest
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stand — to bear
  10. race — humankind
  11. cap — of ice
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bulb — for light
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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