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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. saw — the tool
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. race — the arms race
  9. club — for dancing
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. spring — the season
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fine — all right
  18. spring — a coil
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. craft — boats
  21. fine — high quality
  22. vault — a safe
  23. spring — of water
  24. sharp — clever

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