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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: net · saw · race · stand · pit · tube · fine · bay

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. saw — the tool
  3. race — humankind
  4. stand — to bear
  5. net — for catching
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fine — high quality
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pit — a hole
  14. race — the arms race
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. race — a contest
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stand — on your feet

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