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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. game — wild animals
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. scale — in music
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. scale — size or range
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. race — a contest
  11. game — a match
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. race — the arms race
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. race — humankind
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pit — a hole
  20. snap — to click
  21. hand — help
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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