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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. degree — temperature
  5. race — the arms race
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. degree — from a university
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. present — there
  12. branch — a division
  13. race — humankind
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — size or range
  16. present — a gift
  17. scale — in music
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. drill — the tool
  20. degree — an amount
  21. race — a contest
  22. present — the time now
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. wave — with your hand

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