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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. race — a contest
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. mark — a grade
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. race — humankind
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cap — a lid
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cap — a hat
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mark — a trace
  17. clip — a video
  18. pit — in a race
  19. march — the month
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. march — the month
  22. cap — of ice
  23. march — music
  24. clip — to cut

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