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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. perch — the fish
  4. race — humankind
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. ground — a position
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. firm — decided
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. swing — music
  12. march — music
  13. ground — the earth
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. firm — steady
  17. swing — in golf
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rush — hurry
  20. swing — to play on
  21. march — the month
  22. firm — a company
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rush — to hurry

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