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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. can — a tin
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. race — the arms race
  5. land — a country
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. shower — rain
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. content — happy
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. land — ground
  15. content — the amount
  16. race — a contest
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. can — a tin
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. shower — to wash
  22. land — to come down
  23. can — to be able to
  24. racket — for tennis

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