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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. scale — in music
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. fork — in a road
  5. ball — a great time
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. tear — from crying
  10. scale — size or range
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. race — a contest
  13. ball — a dance
  14. race — humankind
  15. tear — to rip
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. dip — to sink

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