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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. race — the arms race
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. degree — an amount
  7. perch — the fish
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. race — humankind
  11. rock — music
  12. key — in music
  13. race — a contest
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rock — a stone
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. degree — from a university
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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