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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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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: degree · race · can · sharp · capital · scale · suit · rash

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rash — hasty
  6. can — a tin
  7. suit — clothes
  8. race — the arms race
  9. capital — a city
  10. degree — from a university
  11. can — to be able to
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rash — a series
  17. degree — an amount
  18. scale — size or range
  19. suit — in cards
  20. race — humankind
  21. can — a tin
  22. suit — to fit
  23. capital — money
  24. scale — in music

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