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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. race — the arms race
  3. degree — an amount
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. content — the amount
  7. ground — a position
  8. degree — temperature
  9. track — a song
  10. ground — the earth
  11. degree — from a university
  12. race — humankind
  13. track — to keep track
  14. race — a contest
  15. field — farmland
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. suit — in cards
  18. track — a path
  19. suit — clothes
  20. field — a subject
  21. content — happy
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. field — for sport
  24. content — videos and posts

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