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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. race — humankind
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. stock — shares
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. mug — a face
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — a contest
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. fork — in a road
  22. kid — child
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. kid — to tease

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