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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 120 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bore — to drill
  3. race — a contest
  4. bore — to tire
  5. file — a document
  6. cap — of ice
  7. key — in music
  8. race — the arms race
  9. game — a match
  10. plane — a tool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. race — humankind
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. file — a line of people
  17. key — for a lock
  18. file — a tool
  19. cap — a hat
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. game — wild animals
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. key — the most important part

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