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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. race — a contest
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. drill — army training
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. drill — the tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. firm — steady
  18. perch — the fish
  19. row — a line
  20. race — the arms race
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. race — humankind
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mark — a trace

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