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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 120 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. net — after costs
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. net — in sport
  6. ground — a position
  7. track — a path
  8. cue — for pool
  9. track — a song
  10. net — for catching
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cue — a hint
  13. ground — crushed
  14. race — humankind
  15. current — happening now
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. race — a contest
  18. degree — temperature
  19. track — to keep track
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. ground — the earth
  24. degree — an amount

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