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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 116 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. row — a line
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. fork — in a road
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ground — a position
  9. row — to paddle
  10. race — humankind
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. race — a contest
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. march — music
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bass — low music
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bass — the fish
  21. march — the month
  22. ground — crushed
  23. race — the arms race
  24. march — the month

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