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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. content — the amount
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. race — a contest
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pit — in a race
  12. capital — a city
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. race — humankind
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. capital — money

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