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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. race — the arms race
  4. kid — to tease
  5. row — a line
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. date — the fruit
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. race — a contest
  21. kid — child
  22. race — humankind
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pass — a permit

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