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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 116 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bass — low music
  4. club — a group
  5. bass — the fish
  6. capital — a city
  7. race — humankind
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. club — for golf
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. march — the month
  12. mark — a grade
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mark — a trace
  15. capital — money
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. march — the month
  18. fall — to drop
  19. plane — a tool
  20. race — a contest
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. fall — the season
  23. march — music
  24. fall — to drop

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