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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. march — music
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. charge — electricity
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. squash — to crush
  8. race — a contest
  9. degree — an amount
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. charge — in control
  13. toast — bread
  14. squash — the sport
  15. march — the month
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. race — humankind
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. degree — temperature
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. degree — from a university
  23. charge — a price
  24. march — the month

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