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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rock — music
  4. can — a tin
  5. face — to point toward
  6. march — the month
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. dip — to sink
  9. face — to confront
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. face — part of the head
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. ground — a position
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. perch — the fish
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rock — a stone
  24. ground — the earth

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