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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. march — music
  3. firm — steady
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. race — humankind
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. march — the month
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. race — a contest
  11. march — the month
  12. race — the arms race
  13. firm — decided
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. firm — a company
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. swing — to play on

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