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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. race — the arms race
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. game — a match
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. race — humankind
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. branch — a division
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rock — music
  20. pitch — completely
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. race — a contest
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rock — a stone

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