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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. cue — a hint
  3. squash — the sport
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. season — of the year
  8. cue — a signal
  9. race — humankind
  10. fall — the season
  11. cue — for pool
  12. race — a contest
  13. charge — a price
  14. season — in sport
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. charge — in control
  19. squash — to crush
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. charge — electricity
  24. squash — the vegetable

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