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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. race — the arms race
  5. net — for catching
  6. bear — the animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. clip — for paper
  9. race — a contest
  10. track — a path
  11. pit — in a race
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pit — a hole
  15. race — humankind
  16. track — to keep track
  17. clip — to cut
  18. net — after costs
  19. track — a song
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. clip — a video
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. net — in sport

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