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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. race — humankind
  4. mug — a face
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mug — to rob
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. bore — to tire
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stock — shares
  21. race — a contest
  22. stock — goods
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — 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