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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. field — a subject
  5. bank — for money
  6. key — in music
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. field — farmland
  11. bank — of a river
  12. key — for a lock
  13. sharp — clever
  14. race — a contest
  15. bank — for money
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. field — for sport
  21. key — the most important part
  22. drill — army training
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — a 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