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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. race — the arms race
  3. present — a gift
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. object — to protest
  7. race — a contest
  8. saw — the tool
  9. present — there
  10. saw — the tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. race — humankind
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cell — in biology
  17. object — a thing
  18. present — the time now
  19. pitch — completely
  20. object — an aim
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. pitch — a sports field

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