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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. swing — music
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. race — a contest
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. sharp — clever
  12. clip — a video
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. swing — to play on
  15. clip — to cut
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. clip — for paper
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — all right

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