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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. scale — in music
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. saw — the tool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. saw — the tool
  8. season — in sport
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bear — the animal
  11. scale — size or range
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. race — a contest
  21. branch — a division
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. season — of the year
  24. race — the arms race

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