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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 116 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. race — a contest
  3. spell — a short time
  4. race — humankind
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. race — the arms race
  8. spell — magic
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. object — to protest
  11. firm — decided
  12. spell — letters
  13. rock — music
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. firm — a company
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. object — an aim
  18. firm — steady
  19. ground — the earth
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. rock — a stone
  22. object — a thing
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. ground — crushed

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