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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. content — the amount
  4. firm — steady
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. race — humankind
  11. drill — army training
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. firm — a company
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. race — a contest
  18. content — happy
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pit — a hole
  21. branch — a division
  22. firm — decided
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mine — belonging to me

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