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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. present — there
  3. cap — a hat
  4. race — the arms race
  5. season — in sport
  6. pop — music
  7. cap — of ice
  8. game — a match
  9. rest — what's left
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. race — a contest
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pop — soda
  15. rest — what's left
  16. key — for a lock
  17. game — wild animals
  18. present — the time now
  19. season — of the year
  20. key — in music
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. key — the most important part
  23. present — a gift
  24. rest — a break

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