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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. race — humankind
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. drill — army training
  6. prune — to trim
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stock — goods
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stock — shares
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. sharp — clever
  20. drill — the tool
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mouse — for a computer

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