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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. spring — of water
  6. can — a tin
  7. spring — the season
  8. squash — the sport
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. squash — to crush
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. can — a tin
  24. spring — a coil

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