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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. object — to protest
  3. race — humankind
  4. march — music
  5. present — the time now
  6. game — wild animals
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rock — a stone
  9. present — there
  10. march — the month
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. march — the month
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. object — a thing
  18. game — a match
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rock — music
  21. object — an aim
  22. race — the arms race
  23. present — a gift
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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