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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 120 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. suit — clothes
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pit — a hole
  8. suit — in cards
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. degree — an amount
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. race — humankind
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pit — in a race

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