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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. race — humankind
  4. rock — music
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. race — a contest
  8. kid — child
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. stand — to bear
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. race — the arms race
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pit — a hole
  20. season — in sport
  21. sharp — clever
  22. kid — to tease
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rock — a stone

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