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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. race — the arms race
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. date — the fruit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. track — to keep track
  13. race — humankind
  14. suit — clothes
  15. race — a contest
  16. track — a path
  17. plane — a tool
  18. track — a song
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. degree — an amount
  24. suit — to fit

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