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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. last — finally
  5. fork — in a road
  6. race — a contest
  7. last — final
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. wind — moving air
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. date — the fruit
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. last — to go on
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. foot — a measure
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. date — on the calendar

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