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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. march — the month
  5. race — the arms race
  6. current — electric
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. march — the month
  10. race — humankind
  11. spell — letters
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. current — of water
  15. race — a contest
  16. spell — magic
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. spell — a short time
  20. saw — the tool
  21. current — happening now
  22. perch — the fish
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. object — a thing

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