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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. land — ground
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pop — to visit
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. drill — army training
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. land — a country
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cue — for pool
  19. race — a contest
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. land — to come down
  22. drill — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. race — the arms race

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