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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pit — a hole
  3. present — the time now
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. present — there
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — not warm
  19. race — a contest
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. present — a gift
  22. saw — the tool
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pit — in a race

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