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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bass — low music
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. season — in sport
  11. capital — money
  12. season — of the year
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. rest — what's left
  15. race — a contest
  16. bass — the fish
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. capital — a city

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