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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 124 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. race — humankind
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. race — a contest
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. prune — to trim
  11. net — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. saw — the tool
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. season — in sport
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pit — a hole
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. prune — to trim

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