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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 124 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cue — for pool
  5. degree — temperature
  6. race — the arms race
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. race — a contest
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ball — a dance
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. degree — an amount
  20. cue — a signal
  21. race — humankind
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cue — a hint
  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