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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. race — humankind
  5. can — a tin
  6. drill — the tool
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. foot — a measure
  9. race — a contest
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. can — to be able to
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. race — the arms race
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. drill — army training
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. branch — a division
  24. drill — a practice

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