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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 116 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. race — a contest
  3. club — for dancing
  4. craft — a skill
  5. ground — a position
  6. drill — the tool
  7. file — a tool
  8. club — for golf
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. drill — army training
  13. craft — boats
  14. fine — all right
  15. club — a group
  16. fine — high quality
  17. race — the arms race
  18. can — to be able to
  19. race — humankind
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ground — crushed
  22. file — a line of people
  23. ground — the earth
  24. file — a document

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