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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. ground — a position
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fine — high quality
  6. race — humankind
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. board — to get on
  13. kid — to tease
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fine — all right
  19. kid — child
  20. bark — to shout
  21. race — a contest
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. board — a committee

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