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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. march — the month
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. race — the arms race
  6. firm — steady
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. firm — a company
  10. race — a contest
  11. chest — a box
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. race — humankind
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. row — to paddle
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. chest — of your body
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. chest — of your body
  24. firm — decided

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