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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rest — a break
  4. wake — a trail
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rule — a law
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ground — a position
  13. rule — government
  14. race — a contest
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. race — humankind
  22. swing — music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bowl — a football final

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