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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: fine · can · bat · race · arm · drill · date · fork

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. can — to be able to
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. date — the fruit
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fine — high quality
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. race — the arms race
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. race — a contest
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bat — the animal
  18. fine — all right
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. race — humankind
  22. drill — the tool
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fork — in a road

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