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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rock — music
  3. staff — employees
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fork — in a road
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kick — in football
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. staff — a stick
  19. race — a contest
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rock — a stone
  22. perch — the fish
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. staff — employees

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