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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. tear — to rip
  6. object — to protest
  7. game — a match
  8. race — humankind
  9. foot — a measure
  10. race — a contest
  11. spell — letters
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. object — an aim
  14. tear — from crying
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. spell — a short time
  17. tear — from crying
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. object — a thing
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. spell — magic
  24. fine — all right

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