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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. march — the month
  3. degree — from a university
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. race — humankind
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. race — a contest
  17. march — music
  18. scale — in music
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. vault — a safe
  21. march — the month
  22. stand — to bear
  23. race — the arms race
  24. degree — an amount

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