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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. current — of water
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. race — a contest
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fall — to drop
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. degree — an amount
  13. fall — the season
  14. club — for golf
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fall — to drop
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. club — for dancing
  19. current — electric
  20. degree — from a university
  21. current — happening now
  22. race — humankind
  23. club — a group
  24. degree — temperature

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