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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. march — music
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. march — the month
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. last — finally
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. last — final
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bulb — for light
  13. race — humankind
  14. ground — a position
  15. land — a country
  16. march — the month
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mark — a grade
  19. land — to come down
  20. race — a contest
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. land — ground
  24. last — to go on

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