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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. race — the arms race
  5. field — farmland
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mine — for digging
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. charge — in control
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. charge — a price
  24. bulb — for light

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