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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. ball — a dance
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mug — a face
  6. race — humankind
  7. squash — to crush
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pitch — completely
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bank — for money
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. race — a contest
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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