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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. current — of water
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. firm — decided
  6. content — happy
  7. race — the arms race
  8. firm — steady
  9. race — humankind
  10. march — the month
  11. content — the amount
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. present — a gift
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. firm — a company
  16. pit — a hole
  17. present — there
  18. pitch — completely
  19. current — electric
  20. pit — in a race
  21. current — happening now
  22. race — a contest
  23. march — the month
  24. present — the time now

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