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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. scale — size or range
  3. club — for dancing
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. degree — temperature
  7. race — humankind
  8. degree — from a university
  9. track — to keep track
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. track — a song
  12. club — a group
  13. scale — in music
  14. suit — clothes
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. track — a path
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. degree — an amount
  20. race — the arms race
  21. suit — in cards
  22. chair — a leader
  23. club — for golf
  24. race — a contest

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