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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. spring — the season
  3. fine — high quality
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. race — the arms race
  6. spring — a coil
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. swing — in golf
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. content — the amount
  13. foot — a measure
  14. race — humankind
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. content — happy
  18. fine — all right
  19. spring — of water
  20. charge — a price
  21. swing — music
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fan — a supporter

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