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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stock — shares
  8. race — humankind
  9. ball — a great time
  10. race — a contest
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. stock — goods
  15. march — the month
  16. dip — to sink
  17. march — the month
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. march — music
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ball — a dance
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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