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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. deal — to handle
  6. degree — temperature
  7. race — a contest
  8. firm — decided
  9. race — humankind
  10. firm — a company
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. firm — steady
  18. race — the arms race

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