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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. can — a tin
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. charge — electricity
  9. race — the arms race
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wind — moving air
  13. scale — in music
  14. race — humankind
  15. can — a tin
  16. pitch — completely
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. scale — size or range
  20. charge — in control
  21. can — to be able to
  22. charge — a price
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wind — moving air

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