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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. race — the arms race
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. band — a ring
  7. court — of law
  8. deal — to handle
  9. lie — to recline
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mark — a trace
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wax — to grow
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mark — to pay attention

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