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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rush — hurry
  4. degree — an amount
  5. band — a ring
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. band — a music group
  8. root — of a word
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. root — the cause
  11. perch — the fish
  12. race — humankind
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. root — of a plant
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lean — thin
  18. race — a contest
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. degree — from a university
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rush — to hurry

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