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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — a contest
  5. pop — to visit
  6. foot — a measure
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pop — soda
  9. race — humankind
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pop — music
  19. lie — to recline
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. chair — a leader
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. saw — the tool

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