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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. current — electric
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. current — happening now
  15. bear — the animal
  16. race — humankind
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pitch — completely
  20. current — of water
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. race — a contest

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