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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bound — tied together
  6. degree — an amount
  7. race — a contest
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bound — obliged
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bound — certain
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. race — humankind
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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