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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bank — for money
  4. clip — for paper
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. clip — to cut
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rule — government
  13. clip — a video
  14. pitch — completely
  15. ball — a great time
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rule — a law
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. race — humankind
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bank — for money

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