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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. race — humankind
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. race — the arms race
  6. march — music
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rush — hurry
  9. fine — all right
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fall — to drop
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. scale — in music
  16. march — the month
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. race — a contest
  21. fall — the season
  22. branch — a division
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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