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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. race — a contest
  5. present — a gift
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. present — the time now
  8. rule — government
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rest — what's left
  11. file — a document
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. race — the arms race
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. present — there
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rest — a break
  20. root — of a word
  21. pitch — completely
  22. race — humankind
  23. rule — a law
  24. file — a tool

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