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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. court — of law
  4. race — a contest
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spring — of water
  7. cell — in biology
  8. prune — to trim
  9. drill — army training
  10. can — a tin
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. court — for sport
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bear — the animal
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. court — of a king
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. prune — the fruit
  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