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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. march — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pop — music
  6. race — a contest
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pop — to visit
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. march — the month
  14. toast — bread
  15. race — the arms race
  16. spell — a short time
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. march — the month
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. race — humankind
  21. spell — magic
  22. mine — for digging
  23. spell — letters
  24. toast — the most admired

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