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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. race — the arms race
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. degree — an amount
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. race — humankind
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stock — goods
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. degree — from a university
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. degree — temperature
  18. race — a contest
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. roll — a cake
  23. lie — to recline
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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