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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. march — music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. court — of law
  7. scale — in music
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. band — a music group
  10. court — of a king
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. march — the month
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. march — the month
  16. scale — size or range
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. band — a ring
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. court — for sport
  24. race — the arms race

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