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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. race — the arms race
  3. field — a subject
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. net — after costs
  7. present — a gift
  8. race — humankind
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. field — for sport
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. present — the time now
  13. pit — in a race
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pit — a hole
  19. clip — for paper
  20. race — a contest
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. present — there
  24. field — farmland

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