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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. squash — to crush
  3. race — a contest
  4. ground — a position
  5. firm — steady
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. perch — the fish
  9. firm — a company
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bulb — for light
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pit — a hole
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. squash — the sport
  18. ground — the earth
  19. firm — decided
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bat — the animal
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. race — humankind

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