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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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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. race — a contest
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. clip — to cut
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cap — of ice
  11. deal — to handle
  12. clip — a video
  13. track — a song
  14. cap — a hat
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. track — a path
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pound — a weight
  21. race — humankind
  22. degree — an amount
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mouse — the animal

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