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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · mug · tear · fine · present · race · bat · firm

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fine — all right
  3. firm — steady
  4. present — the time now
  5. can — a tin
  6. bat — the animal
  7. mug — to rob
  8. can — a tin
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mug — a face
  12. tear — to rip
  13. can — to be able to
  14. race — the arms race
  15. firm — a company
  16. present — a gift
  17. race — humankind
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. firm — decided
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. race — a contest
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mug — a cup

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