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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. race — humankind
  14. fork — in a road
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rest — a break
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. deal — to handle
  22. race — a contest
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fork — a garden tool

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