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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 120 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. race — the arms race
  3. march — music
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — a contest
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kick — in football
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rock — music
  15. firm — decided
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. firm — a company
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. rock — a stone

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