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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. scale — in music
  5. cap — of ice
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. can — to be able to
  8. race — a contest
  9. date — the fruit
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. saw — the tool
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cap — a hat
  14. can — a tin
  15. cap — a lid
  16. scale — size or range
  17. snap — to click
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. race — humankind
  22. saw — the tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. ruler — a monarch

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