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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 124 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pit — a hole
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. pit — in a race
  12. race — humankind
  13. perch — the fish
  14. saw — the tool
  15. toast — bread
  16. saw — the tool
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pitch — completely
  19. key — for a lock
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. key — in music
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. perch — for a bird

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