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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. object — to protest
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. field — a subject
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mate — a friend
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. field — for sport
  11. object — an aim
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. race — humankind
  15. field — farmland
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. race — a contest
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. mate — a partner
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. object — a thing
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mate — to breed

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