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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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Word bank
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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. pitch — completely
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pit — in a race
  5. race — humankind
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — bread
  8. pit — a hole
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. race — a contest
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. content — happy
  15. branch — a division
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. ball — a great time
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. ball — a dance

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