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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. net — in sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. toast — bread
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. net — after costs
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. race — humankind
  13. roll — a cake
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. track — to keep track
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. bulb — for light
  22. roll — a list
  23. net — for catching
  24. race — a contest

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