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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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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 · dip · racket · drill · bear · bat · race · toast

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. race — humankind
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bat — the animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. drill — a practice
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. drill — army training
  14. race — a contest
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. toast — bread
  17. sharp — clever
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. drill — the tool
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. race — the arms race
  24. toast — the most admired

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