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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bound — certain
  4. firm — steady
  5. race — a contest
  6. march — the month
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rash — a series
  9. bound — obliged
  10. march — music
  11. firm — a company
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rash — hasty
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. race — the arms race
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bound — tied together
  22. firm — decided
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. race — humankind

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