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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. race — the arms race
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. field — for sport
  10. rock — music
  11. race — a contest
  12. field — farmland
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. mine — for digging
  15. field — a subject
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mate — a friend
  18. kid — child
  19. rock — a stone
  20. suit — clothes
  21. kid — to tease
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mate — a partner

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