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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. object — an aim
  3. race — humankind
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. club — for golf
  9. object — a thing
  10. cell — in biology
  11. suit — clothes
  12. mine — for digging
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. race — a contest
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. club — for dancing
  18. object — to protest
  19. club — a group
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pit — a hole

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