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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. race — the arms race
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rock — music
  5. race — humankind
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. kid — to tease
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. season — in sport
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. march — music
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. season — of the year
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. march — the month
  19. rock — a stone
  20. kid — child
  21. march — the month
  22. stock — goods
  23. race — a contest
  24. stock — shares

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