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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mate — to breed
  3. race — humankind
  4. mate — a partner
  5. court — for sport
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. staff — employees
  9. race — a contest
  10. spring — of water
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. staff — a stick
  14. court — of a king
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rule — a law
  17. dip — to sink
  18. staff — employees
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rule — government
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. court — of law
  24. spring — the season

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