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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. sharp — clever
  4. capital — money
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rock — music
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. race — a contest
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. capital — a city
  16. club — for golf
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. club — a group
  21. branch — a division
  22. rock — a stone
  23. race — humankind
  24. rock — to move gently

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