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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pop — to visit
  4. file — a line of people
  5. firm — decided
  6. scale — in music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pop — music
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. firm — a company
  11. plane — a tool
  12. file — a document
  13. race — a contest
  14. file — a tool
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. row — to paddle
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. row — a line
  19. pop — soda
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. firm — steady
  23. scale — size or range
  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