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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: race · sharp · degree · bay · rest · bark · cap · bass

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bass — the fish
  3. race — the arms race
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cap — of ice
  6. race — humankind
  7. rest — a break
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. race — a contest
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. degree — an amount
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bass — low music
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bass — the instrument

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