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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stand — to bear
  5. race — humankind
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. current — of water
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. degree — from a university
  12. current — happening now
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bat — the animal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. vault — a safe
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. current — electric

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