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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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Word bank
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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. race — the arms race
  4. plane — a tool
  5. cap — a hat
  6. degree — temperature
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cap — of ice
  10. race — humankind
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cap — a lid
  13. march — the month
  14. fine — all right
  15. march — the month
  16. degree — an amount
  17. charge — in control
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. charge — a price
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. fine — high quality
  22. race — a contest
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. march — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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