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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. charge — in control
  6. degree — an amount
  7. race — humankind
  8. toast — bread
  9. dip — to sink
  10. race — a contest
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. firm — a company
  15. degree — temperature
  16. firm — decided
  17. degree — from a university
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. firm — steady
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. charge — a price
  24. race — the arms race

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