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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. scale — size or range
  3. net — for catching
  4. scale — in music
  5. pitch — completely
  6. mate — a friend
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. net — after costs
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mate — to breed
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. net — in sport
  17. race — humankind
  18. mate — a partner
  19. craft — a skill
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. craft — boats
  22. race — a contest
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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