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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. drill — army training
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mine — for digging
  7. club — for golf
  8. race — a contest
  9. club — a group
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bulb — for light
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. prune — to trim
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. club — for dancing
  24. race — humankind

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