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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fine — high quality
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fork — in a road
  9. roll — a cake
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. chest — a box
  15. race — a contest
  16. sharp — clever
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ball — a great time
  19. stock — shares
  20. roll — a list
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. fine — all right
  24. chest — of your body

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