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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 116 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. race — humankind
  4. suit — in cards
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. race — a contest
  10. suit — to fit
  11. ground — the earth
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. hand — help
  14. kick — in football
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. season — of the year
  18. sharp — clever
  19. hand — in cards
  20. suit — clothes
  21. perch — the fish
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. season — in sport

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