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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. race — the arms race
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. stock — shares
  7. race — a contest
  8. cue — a hint
  9. season — in sport
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stock — goods
  12. cue — for pool
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. season — of the year
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. cue — a signal
  21. race — humankind
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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