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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. last — finally
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. charge — in control
  7. capital — money
  8. swing — in golf
  9. last — final
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. swing — music
  12. squash — the sport
  13. charge — a price
  14. race — a contest
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. charge — electricity
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pass — a permit
  20. last — to go on
  21. swing — to play on
  22. capital — a city
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. squash — to crush

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