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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mark — a trace
  5. march — the month
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cap — of ice
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. race — humankind
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — the earth
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. race — a contest
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ruler — for measuring

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