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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. shower — to wash
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. degree — an amount
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. shower — rain
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. craft — boats
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. race — a contest

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