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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. race — the arms race
  3. firm — a company
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rock — music
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. firm — decided
  8. chair — a leader
  9. wax — to grow
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — a contest
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rock — a stone
  16. roll — a cake
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. charge — in control
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. firm — steady
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. cap — a lid

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