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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. race — humankind
  3. land — a country
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. land — to come down
  6. object — to protest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. object — a thing
  17. staff — a stick
  18. race — a contest
  19. staff — employees
  20. land — ground
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. object — an aim
  23. staff — employees
  24. arm — part of the body

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