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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. craft — boats
  3. race — humankind
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. race — the arms race
  8. chip — for betting
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ball — a dance
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. race — a contest
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. drill — a practice
  17. chip — to eat
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. present — there
  20. sharp — clever
  21. craft — a skill
  22. drill — the tool
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a ring

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