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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. race — humankind
  4. hand — help
  5. track — a song
  6. prune — to trim
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. land — a country
  9. race — a contest
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. land — ground
  13. prune — to trim
  14. roll — a list
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. track — to keep track
  17. roll — a cake
  18. land — to come down
  19. track — a path
  20. perch — the fish
  21. hand — in cards
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. ruler — for measuring

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