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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · fine · race · foot · degree · craft

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. degree — temperature
  3. race — humankind
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. fine — all right
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. foot — a measure
  10. race — the arms race
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. degree — an amount
  15. craft — boats
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. degree — from a university
  18. fine — high quality

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