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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 124 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pop — soda
  3. race — humankind
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. charge — in control
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pop — to visit
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stand — to bear
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. swing — music
  14. pop — music
  15. cold — an illness
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cold — not warm
  22. swing — to play on
  23. scale — size or range
  24. swing — in golf

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