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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. spring — the season
  3. rock — music
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spell — magic
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. degree — an amount
  9. race — the arms race
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. spell — a short time
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. spring — of water
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. degree — from a university
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. degree — temperature
  19. race — humankind
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rock — a stone
  22. spell — letters
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wave — with your hand

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