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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. race — the arms race
  3. mug — to rob
  4. field — a subject
  5. mug — a face
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. field — for sport
  8. ground — a position
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bound — obliged
  12. race — a contest
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. field — farmland
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bound — certain
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bound — tied together
  23. race — humankind
  24. fan — a supporter

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