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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. scale — in music
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. scale — size or range
  8. race — humankind
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. race — a contest
  15. sharp — clever
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. race — the arms race
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. roll — a cake
  22. rock — music
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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