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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. land — a country
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pit — in a race
  12. swing — music
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. land — ground
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — a contest
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pit — a hole
  24. land — to come down

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