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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ground — a position
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. race — a contest
  6. ground — crushed
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. board — a committee
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. sharp — clever
  15. tube — a container
  16. rush — hurry
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. tube — the underground
  20. ground — the earth
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. board — to get on
  24. tube — in a tire

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