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

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. march — the month
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. season — of the year
  5. march — music
  6. dip — to sink
  7. march — the month
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. season — in sport
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. cap — a lid
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. craft — boats
  18. date — the fruit
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. date — on the calendar

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