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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. race — a contest
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mine — for digging
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. degree — an amount
  10. club — for dancing
  11. race — humankind
  12. bass — low music
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. club — for golf
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. degree — temperature
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. club — a group
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. perch — the fish

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