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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. race — the arms race
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pit — in a race
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pop — music
  18. branch — a division
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pass — a permit
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bear — the animal

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