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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cue — a signal
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. drill — a practice
  18. craft — boats
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. drill — army training

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