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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. rash — a series
  2. degree — an amount
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ground — a position
  5. race — humankind
  6. ground — crushed
  7. race — a contest
  8. rest — what's left
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ground — the earth
  12. degree — from a university
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. present — a gift
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rest — a break
  20. rash — hasty
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. calf — of the leg
  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