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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pit — a hole
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rule — a law
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. race — the arms race
  11. net — in sport
  12. chair — a leader
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. season — in sport
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rule — government
  23. pit — in a race
  24. season — of the year

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