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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 116 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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mate — a friend
  4. race — a contest
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mate — to breed
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mug — to rob
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. firm — decided
  16. degree — an amount
  17. race — humankind
  18. mate — a partner
  19. key — in music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spell — letters
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. spell — magic

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