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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. file — a tool
  4. pass — a permit
  5. race — a contest
  6. pop — to visit
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pop — soda
  11. track — a path
  12. file — a document
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. race — humankind
  15. pop — music
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. capital — a city
  19. file — a line of people
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. track — a song
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pass — to succeed

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