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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pop — soda
  3. capital — money
  4. pop — to visit
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pop — music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. branch — a division
  13. face — to confront
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pass — a permit
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mark — a trace
  21. capital — a city
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. branch — of a tree

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