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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ground — crushed
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. file — a document
  8. cue — a hint
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. cue — a signal
  11. file — a line of people
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ground — a position
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. band — a ring
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. file — a tool
  20. band — a music group
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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