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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bass — low music
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. spring — of water
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kid — child
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. race — a contest
  18. rule — government
  19. present — a gift
  20. kid — to tease
  21. rule — a law
  22. present — the time now
  23. bass — the fish
  24. present — there

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