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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pop — music
  3. field — a subject
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. field — for sport
  8. race — a contest
  9. field — farmland
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pop — soda
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tube — a container
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pitch — completely
  20. race — the arms race
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pop — to visit
  24. toast — bread

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