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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. land — ground
  3. pass — a permit
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cue — for pool
  6. land — a country
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. race — humankind
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cue — a hint
  17. land — to come down
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. swing — music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. race — a contest
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pass — to succeed

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