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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. race — humankind
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. race — a contest
  12. march — the month
  13. rule — a law
  14. race — the arms race
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. march — the month
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. rule — government
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rest — a break
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rest — what's left

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