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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fall — the season
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. race — a contest
  5. file — a line of people
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. file — a tool
  8. club — a group
  9. chest — a box
  10. race — humankind
  11. present — there
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fall — to drop
  14. present — a gift
  15. race — the arms race
  16. chest — of your body
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. file — a document
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fall — to drop

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