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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wake — a trail
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mark — a grade
  6. game — wild animals
  7. ground — a position
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. tube — a container
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. game — a match
  14. race — a contest
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mine — for digging
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. race — humankind
  24. plane — an aircraft

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