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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. land — to come down
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. object — a thing
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. object — to protest
  7. land — a country
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. race — humankind
  10. game — wild animals
  11. object — an aim
  12. degree — temperature
  13. race — a contest
  14. game — a match
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lie — to recline
  19. land — ground
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. degree — an amount
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. degree — from a university
  24. fan — a supporter

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