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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. race — humankind
  5. roll — a list
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bass — low music
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bass — the fish
  10. toast — bread
  11. tube — a container
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. race — a contest
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. roll — a cake
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. ground — the earth
  21. tube — the underground
  22. ground — a position
  23. bear — the animal
  24. tube — in a tire

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