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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pit — a hole
  3. club — for dancing
  4. charge — in control
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cold — not warm
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. club — a group
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cold — an illness
  11. club — for golf
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pit — in a race
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. race — a contest
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. leaves — of a tree

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