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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. race — a contest
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stand — to bear
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fine — all right
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. firm — decided
  13. saw — the tool
  14. race — humankind
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. firm — steady
  19. band — a ring
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. firm — a company
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fine — a penalty

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