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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. scale — in music
  3. degree — from a university
  4. race — a contest
  5. net — in sport
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fine — all right
  10. degree — temperature
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. scale — size or range
  13. toast — bread
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. race — the arms race
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rock — music
  18. degree — an amount
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. toast — the most admired

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