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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. suit — clothes
  7. season — in sport
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rock — music
  12. season — of the year
  13. field — for sport
  14. rule — government
  15. cap — a hat
  16. field — farmland
  17. rule — a law
  18. race — a contest
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. field — a subject
  22. race — humankind
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rock — a stone

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