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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. court — for sport
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. deal — to handle
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. face — to point toward
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. race — a contest
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. face — to confront
  18. court — of law
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. court — of a king
  23. face — part of the head
  24. perch — the fish

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