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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: bass · calf · object · suit · race · degree · pit · fine

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. race — a contest
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bass — the fish
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pit — a hole
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. suit — clothes
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. race — humankind
  14. fine — high quality
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. object — a thing
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bass — low music
  22. degree — an amount
  23. calf — a young animal
  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