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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mark — a grade
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cap — of ice
  7. club — for dancing
  8. toast — bread
  9. hand — in cards
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. mark — a trace
  12. shower — rain
  13. cap — a lid
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. race — humankind
  18. cap — a hat
  19. firm — decided
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. club — for golf
  23. hand — help
  24. club — a group

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