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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. race — a contest
  4. craft — a skill
  5. race — the arms race
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. object — a thing
  8. craft — boats
  9. object — to protest
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. chip — for betting
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. object — an aim
  17. field — farmland
  18. toast — bread
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. field — a subject
  21. drill — a practice
  22. field — for sport
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. race — humankind

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