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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. sharp — clever
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. race — a contest
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. race — humankind
  8. ground — crushed
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fine — all right
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — a position
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. race — the arms race
  24. craft — boats

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