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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. race — the arms race
  3. march — the month
  4. bear — the animal
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. net — after costs
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. race — a contest
  10. wake — a trail
  11. march — the month
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. race — humankind
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rock — music
  19. net — for catching
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. net — in sport
  23. rock — a stone
  24. march — music

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