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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rest — what's left
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. mug — to rob
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. race — a contest
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. degree — an amount
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mug — a cup
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. degree — from a university
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mug — a face

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