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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. can — a tin
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. charge — in control
  10. suit — in cards
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rash — hasty
  13. race — humankind
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. race — a contest
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. can — a tin
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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