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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. season — in sport
  3. current — happening now
  4. season — of the year
  5. content — the amount
  6. field — a subject
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. current — electric
  10. field — for sport
  11. content — happy
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. current — of water
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. race — a contest
  19. field — farmland
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. race — humankind

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