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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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. march — music
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. race — humankind
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. saw — the tool
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. race — a contest
  8. charge — in control
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. march — the month
  12. charge — a price
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rest — what's left
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rest — a break
  21. chair — a leader
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chair — to sit on
  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