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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. race — the arms race
  3. track — a song
  4. chip — for betting
  5. race — a contest
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. degree — an amount
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bore — to drill
  11. chest — a box
  12. cue — for pool
  13. race — humankind
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bore — to tire
  18. degree — temperature
  19. track — a path
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cue — a signal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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