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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. march — the month
  6. race — the arms race
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. race — a contest
  12. bound — certain
  13. bat — the animal
  14. row — a line
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. march — the month
  21. race — humankind
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bat — in an idiom

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