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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. drill — army training
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. stock — shares
  6. race — a contest
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. prune — to trim
  9. race — humankind
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stock — goods
  12. sharp — clever
  13. scale — in music
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. prune — to trim
  22. drill — a practice
  23. scale — size or range
  24. drill — the tool

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