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

Word bank: degree · arm · deal · staff · race · cabinet

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. race — a contest
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. degree — an amount
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. staff — a stick
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. deal — to handle
  10. race — the arms race
  11. degree — from a university
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. staff — employees
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. degree — temperature
  17. staff — employees
  18. race — humankind

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