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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. spring — of water
  3. race — the arms race
  4. branch — a division
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. firm — steady
  8. ball — a great time
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. drill — army training
  12. firm — decided
  13. race — humankind
  14. spring — the season
  15. cap — a lid
  16. firm — a company
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cap — of ice
  19. race — a contest
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. ball — a dance
  24. drill — a practice

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