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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. game — wild animals
  3. date — the fruit
  4. race — a contest
  5. court — of a king
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. court — of law
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. race — the arms race
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. march — music
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. capital — a city
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. race — humankind
  22. capital — money
  23. court — for sport
  24. game — a match

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