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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: key · tear · pitch · plane · fan · roll · craft · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pitch — completely
  3. race — the arms race
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. key — the most important part
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. craft — boats
  11. roll — a cake
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. race — a contest
  15. roll — a list
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. craft — a skill
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. key — for a lock
  23. tear — to rip
  24. key — in music

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