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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. wound — an injury
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. drill — army training
  5. firm — a company
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ball — a dance
  9. drill — a practice
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. can — a tin
  13. race — the arms race
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. race — humankind
  16. can — to be able to
  17. drill — the tool
  18. firm — steady
  19. can — a tin
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. deal — to handle
  22. firm — decided
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. perch — the fish

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