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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. 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. race — humankind
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. charge — electricity
  8. race — a contest
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. spell — a short time
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. 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