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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. march — music
  4. race — a contest
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for golf
  7. march — the month
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. race — humankind
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rash — hasty
  15. march — the month
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rash — a series
  18. suit — in cards
  19. degree — an amount
  20. suit — clothes
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. suit — to fit
  24. degree — temperature

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