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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stock — shares
  11. perch — the fish
  12. race — a contest
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stock — goods
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lean — thin
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. race — the arms race
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ball — a great time

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