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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. can — a tin
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. key — the most important part
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. can — a tin
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pitch — completely
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. key — for a lock
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. kick — in football
  19. rush — hurry
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. key — in music
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mate — a friend

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