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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bass — low music
  5. pit — in a race
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. present — the time now
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rash — a series
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. court — for sport
  17. present — a gift
  18. court — of law
  19. present — there
  20. court — of a king
  21. race — humankind
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bass — the fish
  24. race — the arms race

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