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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pop — music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. foot — a measure
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pop — to visit
  15. race — a contest
  16. pop — soda
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. race — humankind
  22. fall — the season
  23. roll — a list
  24. pitch — completely

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