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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. race — a contest
  3. scale — size or range
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. scale — in music
  7. game — a match
  8. pass — a permit
  9. race — the arms race
  10. net — in sport
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fine — high quality
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. net — for catching
  17. race — humankind
  18. game — wild animals
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. net — after costs
  24. fine — all right

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