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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. march — the month
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rash — a series
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cap — of ice
  7. march — music
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cap — a lid
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cap — a hat
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stand — to bear
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rule — a law
  18. race — humankind
  19. rash — hasty
  20. race — a contest
  21. march — the month
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rule — government
  24. calf — a young animal

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