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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. root — the cause
  3. cell — in biology
  4. race — the arms race
  5. root — of a word
  6. race — humankind
  7. firm — decided
  8. kick — in football
  9. pass — a permit
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. degree — from a university
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. race — a contest
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. firm — a company
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. root — of a plant
  19. degree — temperature
  20. craft — boats
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. firm — steady
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cell — a phone

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