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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. key — in music
  9. season — in sport
  10. race — a contest
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. race — humankind
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bulb — for light
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. season — of the year

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