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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rock — music
  4. file — a line of people
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. race — a contest
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. race — humankind
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rock — a stone
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. file — a document
  14. stock — shares
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. file — a tool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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