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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cap — a lid
  3. content — the amount
  4. race — a contest
  5. content — happy
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bore — to drill
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bore — to tire
  11. march — the month
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cap — of ice
  15. march — music
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. race — humankind
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. plane — a tool
  23. game — a match
  24. plane — an aircraft

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