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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. scale — in music
  3. race — humankind
  4. bank — for money
  5. race — the arms race
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. scale — size or range
  9. firm — a company
  10. spring — the season
  11. current — of water
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. prune — to trim
  14. firm — decided
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bank — for money
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — of water
  19. bank — of a river
  20. race — a contest
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. firm — steady

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