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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — a contest
  4. degree — temperature
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. charge — electricity
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. race — humankind
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. charge — a price
  12. shower — to wash
  13. charge — in control
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bound — obliged
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bound — certain
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cue — for pool
  23. degree — from a university
  24. racket — a loud noise

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