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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. march — the month
  3. tube — the underground
  4. race — the arms race
  5. firm — steady
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. roll — a cake
  8. race — a contest
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. rock — a stone
  11. march — the month
  12. land — a country
  13. march — music
  14. firm — a company
  15. tube — a container
  16. dip — to sink
  17. roll — a list
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. firm — decided
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. rock — music
  24. tube — in a tire

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