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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. snap — to click
  3. march — the month
  4. object — to protest
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. march — music
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. march — the month
  16. race — humankind
  17. object — a thing
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. race — a contest
  21. object — an aim
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rush — hurry

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