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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. scale — in music
  6. march — music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. foot — a measure
  9. last — final
  10. march — the month
  11. last — finally
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. march — the month
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. degree — an amount
  18. race — a contest
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. degree — temperature
  21. pound — a weight
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. degree — from a university
  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