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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fork — in a road
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. track — a path
  13. race — a contest
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. race — humankind
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. spell — magic
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. spell — letters
  23. mug — a face
  24. fork — to eat with

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