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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · wax · pit · race · perch · ruler · bay · firm

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. firm — decided
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. present — the time now
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wax — to grow
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. pit — in a race
  16. race — humankind
  17. present — a gift
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pit — a hole
  22. present — there
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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