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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. suit — clothes
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. race — humankind
  8. court — for sport
  9. dip — to sink
  10. court — of law
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. race — a contest
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. mark — a trace
  19. court — of a king
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. squash — the 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