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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. race — a contest
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bound — certain
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. deal — to handle
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bound — obliged
  12. scale — in music
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. race — the arms race
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. race — humankind
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fork — in a road
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. scale — size or range

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