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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. spring — of water
  3. can — a tin
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. race — a contest
  6. present — the time now
  7. race — the arms race
  8. firm — decided
  9. cue — for pool
  10. present — a gift
  11. firm — steady
  12. can — a tin
  13. spring — the season
  14. mark — a grade
  15. race — humankind
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. cue — a signal
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pit — a hole
  20. can — to be able to
  21. firm — a company
  22. pit — in a race
  23. present — there
  24. mark — a trace

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