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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. ball — a dance
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. tube — the underground
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. race — humankind
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. race — a contest
  10. root — of a word
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. race — the arms race
  14. file — a line of people
  15. tube — a container
  16. root — the cause
  17. fork — in a road
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. squash — to crush
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. file — a tool
  22. root — of a plant
  23. squash — the sport
  24. arm — part of the body

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