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

Word bank: race · bear · rest · staff · degree · mark

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. staff — a stick
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rest — what's left
  5. staff — employees
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rest — a break
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. staff — employees
  13. race — a contest
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. mark — to pay attention

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