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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 116 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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rash — a series
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. race — a contest
  21. march — the month
  22. deal — to handle
  23. race — humankind
  24. rash — hasty

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