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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. race — a contest
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. cell — a phone
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. race — the arms race
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ball — a great time
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. race — humankind
  19. ball — a dance
  20. chair — a leader
  21. prune — to trim
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. racket — a loud noise

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