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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. foot — a measure
  12. pit — a hole
  13. dip — to sink
  14. can — a tin
  15. race — a contest
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. can — to be able to
  19. degree — temperature
  20. pit — in a race
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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