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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. race — humankind
  3. mate — to breed
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. rule — government
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rule — a law
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. foot — a measure
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. craft — boats
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. mate — a friend

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