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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. race — humankind
  3. ground — a position
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. race — the arms race
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ground — crushed
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. branch — a division
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. race — a contest
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. branch — of a tree

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