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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. degree — from a university
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. ball — a dance
  7. craft — boats
  8. race — humankind
  9. net — in sport
  10. key — in music
  11. net — after costs
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. key — the most important part
  15. kick — in football
  16. degree — an amount
  17. net — for catching
  18. mark — a trace
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. race — the arms race
  21. craft — a skill
  22. degree — temperature
  23. key — for a lock
  24. ball — a great time

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