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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. race — humankind
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. race — a contest
  16. charge — in control
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. swing — to play on
  24. charge — a price

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