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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. race — humankind
  3. key — in music
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stock — shares
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. season — of the year
  16. squash — the sport
  17. season — in sport
  18. key — for a lock
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stock — goods
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. key — the most important part

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