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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. race — the arms race
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. season — of the year
  13. cap — of ice
  14. race — a contest
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. file — a document

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