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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. march — the month
  4. court — of a king
  5. shower — rain
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. march — music
  8. roll — a list
  9. march — the month
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. court — of law
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. court — for sport
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. roll — a cake
  21. race — humankind
  22. bear — the animal
  23. shower — to wash
  24. wax — to grow

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