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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. race — the arms race
  3. march — the month
  4. race — a contest
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. stand — to bear
  7. vault — a safe
  8. march — the month
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. net — in sport
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. degree — from a university
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. march — music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. net — for catching
  19. degree — an amount
  20. net — after costs
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. race — humankind
  24. degree — temperature

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