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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 116 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. race — the arms race
  5. branch — a division
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. race — humankind
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. race — a contest
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. season — in sport
  19. degree — an amount
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bat — the animal
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bat — in an idiom

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