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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. march — the month
  4. stock — goods
  5. key — in music
  6. mug — a face
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. stock — shares
  10. branch — a division
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. race — the arms race
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pass — a permit
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. march — music
  18. mug — to rob
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. chair — a leader
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. march — the month
  24. chair — to sit on

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