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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rest — what's left
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ground — a position
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rest — a break
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. race — humankind
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ground — the earth
  24. degree — an amount

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