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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rock — music
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. race — a contest
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. club — for golf
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. branch — a division
  18. ground — a position
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. race — humankind
  21. ground — the earth
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. club — a group

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