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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. race — the arms race
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. race — a contest
  5. press — a publisher
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. ground — the earth
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ground — a position
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bear — the animal
  16. press — to push
  17. bear — the animal
  18. race — humankind
  19. track — to keep track
  20. ground — crushed
  21. press — newspapers
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. track — a path
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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