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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. race — a contest
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. roll — a cake
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. race — humankind
  12. season — in sport
  13. present — the time now
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. season — of the year
  18. roll — a list
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mouse — the animal

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