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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. race — the arms race
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mug — a cup
  5. band — a music group
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. net — for catching
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. race — humankind
  12. band — a ring
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. net — after costs
  16. mug — to rob
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mug — a face
  20. squash — the sport
  21. net — in sport
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. race — a contest

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