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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. race — a contest
  3. lean — to bend
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rest — a break
  8. court — of law
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. court — for sport
  11. foot — a measure
  12. court — of a king
  13. lean — thin
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rest — what's left
  18. deal — to handle
  19. race — humankind
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lash — to lash out

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