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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. race — a contest
  3. bound — certain
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stock — goods
  7. degree — temperature
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stock — shares
  13. bound — obliged
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. race — the arms race
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. race — humankind
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bound — tied together
  24. hide — to keep secret

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