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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bound — certain
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. court — for sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. ground — a position
  13. lie — to recline
  14. ground — the earth
  15. race — humankind
  16. court — of a king
  17. face — to confront
  18. court — of law
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. race — a contest
  22. face — to point toward
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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