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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wind — moving air
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wind — moving air
  11. race — a contest
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. pitch — completely
  16. race — humankind
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ruler — for measuring

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