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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. bore — to tire
  11. saw — the tool
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bore — to drill
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. race — humankind
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cue — a hint
  21. saw — the tool
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cue — for pool
  24. arm — 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