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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. fine — all right
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cap — a lid
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. file — a line of people
  10. race — the arms race
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cap — of ice
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. deal — to handle
  17. file — a document
  18. race — a contest
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cap — a hat
  21. file — a tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. calf — a young animal

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