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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. race — a contest
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — an amount
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. race — the arms race
  9. degree — from a university
  10. ground — a position
  11. track — a path
  12. current — happening now
  13. board — to get on
  14. race — humankind
  15. current — electric
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. board — a committee
  19. track — a song
  20. current — of water
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. ground — crushed
  24. track — to keep track

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