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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. race — the arms race
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mate — a friend
  6. race — a contest
  7. object — an aim
  8. key — in music
  9. mate — to breed
  10. field — farmland
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. race — humankind
  18. object — a thing
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mate — a partner
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. field — a subject
  23. object — to protest
  24. field — for sport

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