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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 124 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. race — humankind
  3. cap — of ice
  4. scale — in music
  5. firm — decided
  6. perch — the fish
  7. chair — a leader
  8. race — a contest
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. race — the arms race
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bear — the animal
  13. firm — a company
  14. scale — size or range
  15. charge — electricity
  16. firm — steady
  17. cap — a lid
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cap — a hat

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