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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pit — a hole
  10. key — in music
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. key — for a lock
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. pit — in a race
  18. kick — in football
  19. cue — a signal
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cue — for pool
  22. race — the arms race
  23. net — after costs
  24. race — a contest

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