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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rest — what's left
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. date — the fruit
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bass — the fish
  7. ball — a great time
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bass — low music
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rest — what's left
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bear — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rest — a break
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bear — the animal
  24. date — on the calendar

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