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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. race — a contest
  2. march — music
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. season — in sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. season — of the year
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cue — a hint
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. snap — to click
  17. race — humankind
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. march — the month
  23. cue — for pool
  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