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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: chest · pitch · stick · race · mate · mine · ruler · mouse

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. race — the arms race
  3. chest — of your body
  4. race — a contest
  5. chest — a box
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. race — humankind
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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