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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. race — the arms race
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bulb — for light
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. craft — boats
  9. race — humankind
  10. stock — goods
  11. drill — a practice
  12. stock — shares
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rash — a series
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. drill — army training
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bulb — for light
  24. race — a contest

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