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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. race — the arms race
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. degree — temperature
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. degree — an amount
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tear — to rip
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. degree — from a university
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wound — an injury
  19. race — a contest
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tear — from crying
  22. firm — steady
  23. race — humankind
  24. firm — a company

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