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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. race — a contest
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. degree — from a university
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mug — a face
  6. fine — high quality
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. mug — a cup
  10. staff — employees
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fine — all right
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. degree — temperature
  16. staff — a stick
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mug — to rob
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. staff — employees
  22. tube — a container
  23. chip — in a computer
  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