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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. game — wild animals
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pop — music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bore — to tire
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. net — in sport
  14. pop — soda
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bore — to drill
  17. game — a match
  18. net — for catching
  19. face — to confront
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. net — after costs
  22. face — part of the head
  23. race — a contest
  24. face — to point toward

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