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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. staff — employees
  4. race — a contest
  5. land — a country
  6. cap — a lid
  7. kick — in football
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. staff — employees
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cap — a hat
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. staff — a stick
  19. land — to come down
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cap — of ice
  23. race — humankind
  24. land — ground

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