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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. content — videos and posts
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bat — the animal
  4. march — the month
  5. pop — music
  6. march — music
  7. firm — a company
  8. march — the month
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. race — a contest
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pop — soda
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. content — the amount
  19. firm — decided
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. firm — steady
  23. content — happy
  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