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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. roll — a cake
  4. pop — to visit
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. race — a contest
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pop — soda
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kick — in football
  12. march — music
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. roll — a list
  15. march — the month
  16. mug — a cup
  17. race — humankind
  18. mug — a face
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. pop — music
  22. mug — to rob
  23. march — the month
  24. ruler — for measuring

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