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

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. race — humankind
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mark — a grade
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. race — a contest
  24. perch — the fish

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