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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. race — a contest
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. race — humankind
  13. degree — temperature
  14. staff — employees
  15. charge — in control
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. sharp — clever
  20. squash — the sport
  21. charge — electricity
  22. degree — an amount
  23. staff — a stick
  24. charge — a price

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