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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: sharp · race · drill · mark · staff · pitcher · ball · plane

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. drill — a practice
  3. race — humankind
  4. staff — employees
  5. race — a contest
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. mark — a trace
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ball — a great time
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. race — the arms race

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