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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. date — the fruit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. craft — a skill
  6. race — a contest
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. race — the arms race
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. race — humankind
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. craft — boats
  14. game — wild animals
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. track — to keep track
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. game — a match
  24. roll — a list

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