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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. perch — the fish
  3. march — music
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pit — a hole
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. race — humankind
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pit — in a race
  16. march — the month
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. march — the month
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. race — a contest
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. perch — for a bird

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