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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. race — a contest
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. net — after costs
  8. present — the time now
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rash — hasty
  11. net — for catching
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. present — there
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. race — humankind
  22. present — a gift
  23. net — in sport
  24. racket — a loud noise

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