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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · bat · bound · drill · race · mate · pit · nail

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — a contest
  5. mate — to breed
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pit — in a race
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. season — of the year
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pit — a hole
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. season — in sport
  22. bound — tied together
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. drill — army training

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