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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. rule — a law
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mark — a grade
  10. chair — a leader
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rule — government
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cap — a hat
  18. race — a contest
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cap — a lid
  24. foot — a measure

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