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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. track — a song
  5. rest — what's left
  6. squash — the sport
  7. race — the arms race
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. track — a path
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. race — a contest
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. race — humankind
  15. track — to keep track
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rest — a break
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ruler — for measuring

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