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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. key — in music
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. key — for a lock
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. race — humankind
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. race — a contest
  13. dip — to sink
  14. field — a subject
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. race — the arms race
  18. key — the most important part
  19. field — farmland
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ground — a position
  22. field — for sport
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. squash — the sport

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