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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. degree — an amount
  6. race — the arms race
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. charge — in control
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. race — humankind
  13. degree — from a university
  14. fine — all right
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. sharp — clever
  17. land — a country
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. race — a contest
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. degree — temperature
  23. fine — high quality
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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