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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rule — government
  5. wind — moving air
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fine — all right
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. race — humankind
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bank — for money
  17. race — a contest
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mark — a grade
  24. fine — a penalty

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