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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. race — the arms race
  3. firm — steady
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. firm — a company
  6. scale — in music
  7. cap — a hat
  8. band — a music group
  9. deal — to handle
  10. game — wild animals
  11. scale — size or range
  12. band — a ring
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. firm — decided
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. race — humankind
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. perch — the fish
  24. race — a contest

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