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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. race — humankind
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. object — to protest
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. club — for golf
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mine — for digging
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mug — to rob
  15. club — for dancing
  16. file — a document
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals
  19. club — a group
  20. mug — a face
  21. object — an aim
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. file — a tool

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