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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. staff — a stick
  3. race — a contest
  4. bass — low music
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fork — in a road
  8. plane — a tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bass — the fish
  17. dip — to sink
  18. race — humankind
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. staff — employees
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. race — the arms race

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