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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. race — humankind
  5. mug — to rob
  6. degree — an amount
  7. mug — a cup
  8. toast — bread
  9. degree — temperature
  10. race — a contest
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stock — shares
  14. mug — a face
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. rock — a stone
  19. stock — goods
  20. degree — from a university
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. race — the arms race

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