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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 120 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. race — humankind
  8. object — to protest
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. race — a contest
  11. game — wild animals
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wound — an injury
  14. land — to come down
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. land — ground
  17. game — a match
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. object — an aim
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. scale — size or range
  23. object — a thing
  24. land — a country

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