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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. charge — electricity
  4. branch — a division
  5. firm — decided
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. race — humankind
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. firm — steady
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rock — music
  13. charge — a price
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rock — a stone
  17. charge — in control
  18. pit — in a race
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. firm — a company
  21. mark — a grade
  22. race — a contest
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. race — the arms race

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