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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. race — humankind
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. net — for catching
  6. degree — from a university
  7. ground — a position
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. firm — a company
  10. net — in sport
  11. swing — in golf
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. degree — temperature
  15. race — the arms race
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ground — crushed
  19. net — after costs
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. degree — an amount
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. race — a contest

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