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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. foot — a measure
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bass — low music
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. degree — an amount
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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