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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. race — humankind
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. net — after costs
  17. club — a group
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. net — for catching
  21. drill — a practice
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. club — for golf
  24. net — in sport

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