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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: track · object · dip · stick · staff · cold · race · row

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. row — to paddle
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. object — to protest
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. track — a path
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. staff — employees
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. staff — employees
  16. dip — to sink
  17. track — to keep track
  18. race — a contest
  19. track — a song
  20. race — humankind
  21. staff — a stick
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — a line
  24. race — the arms race

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