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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. race — the arms race
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. court — of a king
  5. race — humankind
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. degree — from a university
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. race — a contest
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. court — of law
  14. mug — to rob
  15. degree — temperature
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mug — a face
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wind — moving air
  21. degree — an amount
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. court — for 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