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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: scale · race · game · safe · season · can · arm · degree

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. race — humankind
  4. game — wild animals
  5. scale — in music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. degree — an amount
  16. can — a tin
  17. degree — temperature
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. game — a match
  21. degree — from a university
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. arm — part of the body

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