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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. can — a tin
  5. cold — not warm
  6. race — the arms race
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. branch — a division
  9. season — of the year
  10. suit — to fit
  11. race — humankind
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. season — in sport
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. can — to be able to
  18. suit — in cards
  19. scale — in music
  20. can — a tin
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. race — a contest
  23. suit — clothes
  24. scale — size or range

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