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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · race · ruler · cell · fork · nail

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cell — in biology
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. race — humankind
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cell — a phone
  18. nail — on a finger

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