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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. race — a contest
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. object — an aim
  9. bound — obliged
  10. race — the arms race
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. dip — to sink
  14. race — humankind
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pitch — completely
  17. object — a thing
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rest — a break
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bound — certain
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. object — to protest

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