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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.

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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. race — the arms race
  4. court — of law
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. ground — a position
  7. pass — a permit
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mark — a trace
  12. race — humankind
  13. charge — a price
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. ground — the earth
  18. court — of a king
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. race — a contest
  24. mark — a grade

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