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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. court — of law
  5. toast — bread
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ground — the earth
  8. shower — rain
  9. ground — a position
  10. court — for sport
  11. club — a group
  12. last — finally
  13. ground — crushed
  14. court — of a king
  15. race — a contest
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. club — for golf
  18. race — humankind
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. club — for dancing
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. shower — to wash
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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