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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. race — a contest
  3. can — to be able to
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. degree — temperature
  6. track — a path
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. row — a line
  10. degree — an amount
  11. row — to paddle
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pass — a permit
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. snap — to click
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. degree — from a university
  22. track — a song
  23. race — humankind
  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