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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. staff — employees
  5. rash — hasty
  6. staff — a stick
  7. race — the arms race
  8. net — after costs
  9. staff — employees
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. march — music
  12. race — humankind
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. race — a contest
  17. march — the month
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cell — a phone
  21. net — for catching
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. march — the month
  24. net — in sport

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