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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. rule — a law
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. race — humankind
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. race — a contest
  13. last — final
  14. rule — government
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bark — to shout
  21. march — music
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pitcher — a jug

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