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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. key — in music
  3. game — a match
  4. key — for a lock
  5. game — wild animals
  6. race — humankind
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. degree — an amount
  9. firm — a company
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. degree — temperature
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. firm — decided
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. firm — steady
  20. degree — from a university
  21. race — the arms race
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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