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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. pit — in a race
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. row — a line
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. hand — help
  11. row — to paddle
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. race — humankind
  16. rash — hasty
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. hand — in cards
  21. object — to protest
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rash — a series
  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