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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. 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. mark — a trace
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. degree — temperature
  4. perch — the fish
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wound — an injury
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. race — a contest
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wake — a trail
  11. root — of a word
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. degree — an amount
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. race — humankind
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. root — the cause
  24. 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