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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cue — a signal
  3. fine — all right
  4. ground — crushed
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. degree — from a university
  10. ground — a position
  11. cue — a hint
  12. board — to get on
  13. saw — the tool
  14. degree — temperature
  15. board — a committee
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. ground — the earth
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fine — high quality
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cue — for pool
  23. degree — an amount
  24. race — humankind

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