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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. race — humankind
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. game — a match
  7. club — for golf
  8. file — a tool
  9. mate — to breed
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. race — a contest
  13. mate — a friend
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pass — a permit
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mate — a partner
  18. club — a group
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bear — the animal
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bear — to put up with

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