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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pop — soda
  3. race — a contest
  4. pop — music
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pop — to visit
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. sharp — clever
  10. content — happy
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. race — humankind
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. content — the amount
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. patient — a sick person

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