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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. race — humankind
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. toast — bread
  6. race — the arms race
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bulb — for light
  9. race — a contest
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. file — a line of people
  12. ground — crushed
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. ground — the earth
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. file — a document
  18. wind — moving air
  19. file — a tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ground — a position
  24. nail — for a hammer

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