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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. race — a contest
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. march — the month
  6. track — a path
  7. squash — the sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. current — of water
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. perch — the fish
  14. current — electric
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. march — music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. race — the arms race
  19. track — to keep track
  20. current — happening now
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. march — the month
  24. track — a song

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