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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. object — an aim
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — the arms race
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rule — government
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bass — the fish
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bass — low music
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rule — a law
  18. object — a thing
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. board — to get on
  22. race — a contest
  23. object — to protest
  24. board — a committee

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