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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. race — the arms race
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. row — to paddle
  6. degree — temperature
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. degree — an amount
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. swing — music
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — humankind
  16. file — a document
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mark — a trace
  21. swing — in golf
  22. row — a line
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mouse — for a computer

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