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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pit — a hole
  5. saw — the tool
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pitch — completely
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. race — humankind
  17. ground — a position
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. race — a contest

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