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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — from a university
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. race — humankind
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ground — a position
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bulb — for light
  20. race — a contest
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. ground — the earth

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