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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. march — music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. perch — the fish
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. squash — the sport
  10. mug — to rob
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. march — the month
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. squash — to crush
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mug — a face
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. mug — a cup
  20. race — a contest
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — the arms race

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