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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. race — a contest
  4. bulb — for light
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. foot — a measure
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. suit — in cards
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. suit — clothes
  12. court — for sport
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. race — humankind
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. court — of a king
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. suit — to fit
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. court — of law
  23. bulb — for light
  24. last — final

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