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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. object — to protest
  4. race — a contest
  5. march — the month
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. march — music
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. race — humankind
  14. key — in music
  15. object — an aim
  16. race — the arms race
  17. tear — to rip
  18. object — a thing
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. key — for a lock
  24. march — the month

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