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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. file — a tool
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. race — humankind
  6. pop — to visit
  7. foot — a measure
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. file — a document
  10. track — a song
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — soda
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pop — music
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. race — a contest
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. chair — a leader
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. file — a line of people
  24. nail — on a finger

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