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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bass — the fish
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. can — a tin
  14. race — a contest
  15. toast — bread
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rush — hurry
  19. can — a tin
  20. race — the arms race
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. can — to be able to
  24. sharp — clever

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