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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. drill — a practice
  3. content — happy
  4. date — the fruit
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. drill — the tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. content — the amount
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. drill — army training
  16. bulb — for light
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. race — a contest
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bulb — for light
  24. prune — to trim

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