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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 124 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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. race — the arms race
  3. drill — army training
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. club — a group
  8. race — a contest
  9. cap — a hat
  10. spell — letters
  11. saw — the tool
  12. spell — a short time
  13. race — humankind
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. drill — the tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cap — a lid
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. cap — of ice
  21. spell — magic
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. drill — a practice
  24. club — for golf

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