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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. degree — temperature
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. degree — an amount
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. degree — from a university
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. race — the arms race
  20. foot — a measure
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. foot — part of the body

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