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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. field — for sport
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. field — farmland
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. rest — a break
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. race — a contest
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. field — a subject
  22. race — humankind
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. swing — music

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