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

Word bank: pass · degree · press · bay · sharp · racket · race · shower

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. shower — to wash
  3. race — humankind
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. press — newspapers
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pass — a permit
  13. shower — rain
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. press — to push
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. race — a contest
  22. sharp — clever
  23. degree — an amount
  24. race — the arms race

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