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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. can — a tin
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a city
  10. can — a tin
  11. swing — to play on
  12. content — the amount
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — a contest
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. suit — in cards
  20. can — to be able to
  21. suit — to fit
  22. content — happy
  23. suit — clothes
  24. content — videos and posts

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