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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pit — a hole
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. key — in music
  7. suit — clothes
  8. club — for golf
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. suit — to fit
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pit — in a race
  14. race — a contest
  15. shower — to wash
  16. lean — thin
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. race — humankind
  19. club — a group
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. club — for dancing
  23. key — the most important part
  24. shower — rain

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