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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. land — a country
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wake — a trail
  8. land — to come down
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. track — a song
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. track — to keep track
  14. land — ground
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. track — a path
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spell — magic
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. race — the arms race
  24. spell — letters

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