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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. spell — a short time
  4. date — the fruit
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. spell — magic
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. race — the arms race
  10. spell — letters
  11. race — a contest
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cue — a signal
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. tube — the underground
  17. degree — temperature
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wax — to grow
  21. tube — a container
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. date — on the calendar

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