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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. ground — a position
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ground — the earth
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. squash — the sport
  14. race — a contest
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. stand — to bear
  23. race — humankind
  24. kick — in football

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