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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. race — the arms race
  3. ground — a position
  4. prune — to trim
  5. race — a contest
  6. charge — electricity
  7. staff — employees
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. staff — employees
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. staff — a stick
  12. charge — a price
  13. ground — the earth
  14. band — a music group
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. band — a ring
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. race — humankind
  21. march — music
  22. ground — crushed
  23. prune — to trim
  24. band — a rubber band

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