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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bass — low music
  5. race — humankind
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. race — a contest
  13. degree — from a university
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bass — the fish
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kick — in football

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