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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. pitch — completely
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. race — humankind
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. object — to protest
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. toast — bread
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rash — hasty
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. rash — a series
  23. object — a thing
  24. rash — on the skin

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