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

Word bank: rest · arm · press · charge · race · patient · bowl · court

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. charge — in control
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rest — what's left
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. charge — a price
  12. court — of a king
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rest — what's left
  15. press — a publisher
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. court — of law
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. charge — electricity
  20. press — to push
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rest — a break
  23. court — for sport
  24. race — a contest

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