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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. race — humankind
  3. mug — to rob
  4. race — a contest
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pass — a permit
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. drill — army training
  10. hand — help
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. hand — in cards
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. scale — in music
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mug — a face
  22. race — the arms race
  23. drill — the tool
  24. mug — a cup

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