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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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. saw — the tool
  4. field — farmland
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. squash — the sport
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. field — a subject
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — humankind
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stock — goods
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. squash — to crush
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stock — shares
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. field — for sport

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