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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 120 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. content — the amount
  5. race — humankind
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. content — happy
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. charge — a price
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. season — in sport
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bat — the animal
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. charge — electricity
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. charge — in control

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