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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. race — humankind
  6. clip — a video
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pop — soda
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. clip — for paper
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mate — to breed
  19. kid — to tease
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pop — music
  22. fine — all right
  23. race — a contest
  24. pitch — completely

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