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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. race — the arms race
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. march — the month
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. race — a contest
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rest — a break
  11. march — the month
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. race — humankind
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. march — music
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. roll — a list

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