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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. degree — temperature
  5. face — to confront
  6. race — humankind
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rest — what's left
  10. dip — to sink
  11. face — to point toward
  12. court — for sport
  13. staff — employees
  14. court — of a king
  15. degree — from a university
  16. staff — employees
  17. rest — what's left
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. court — of law
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rest — a break
  23. degree — an amount
  24. staff — a stick

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