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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. wind — moving air
  3. march — the month
  4. net — for catching
  5. tube — the underground
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. march — the month
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wind — moving air
  11. net — after costs
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. key — the most important part
  14. race — a contest
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. march — music
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. key — in music
  22. firm — decided
  23. net — in sport
  24. tube — a container

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