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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: race · bay · stand · spell · game · stick · arm · nail

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. race — a contest
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. game — a match
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. game — wild animals
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. race — humankind

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