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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. object — an aim
  5. race — a contest
  6. pit — a hole
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. race — humankind
  12. pit — in a race
  13. staff — employees
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. staff — a stick
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. object — a thing
  19. wax — to grow
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. scale — in music
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. object — to protest

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