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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. race — the arms race
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. swing — to play on
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bat — the animal
  9. last — final
  10. present — there
  11. swing — music
  12. last — to go on
  13. march — the month
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. present — the time now
  18. march — music
  19. race — a contest
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. present — a gift
  22. march — the month
  23. last — finally
  24. stand — to bear

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