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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. content — the amount
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. race — humankind
  6. toast — bread
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. race — a contest
  10. degree — from a university
  11. content — happy
  12. degree — an amount
  13. roll — a list
  14. degree — temperature
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rest — what's left
  19. roll — a cake
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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