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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. court — for sport
  5. tube — a container
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. suit — to fit
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. court — of law
  14. season — in sport
  15. race — a contest
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stand — to bear
  19. season — of the year
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. court — of a king
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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