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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ground — a position
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. race — humankind
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. game — a match
  15. race — a contest
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. ground — the earth
  24. nail — for a hammer

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