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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 116 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. object — to protest
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. race — a contest
  6. cap — a lid
  7. spell — letters
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pitch — completely
  13. spell — magic
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cap — of ice
  17. object — a thing
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cap — a hat
  20. race — humankind
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. object — an aim

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