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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. race — humankind
  4. pit — a hole
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. scale — in music
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pitch — completely
  11. file — a document
  12. pit — in a race
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. race — a contest
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. race — the arms race
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. chair — a leader
  24. leaves — of a tree

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