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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. race — the arms race
  3. mate — a friend
  4. spring — a coil
  5. net — in sport
  6. mate — to breed
  7. spring — the season
  8. charge — electricity
  9. spring — of water
  10. swing — to play on
  11. net — after costs
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. race — a contest
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. swing — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mate — a partner
  21. charge — in control
  22. race — humankind
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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