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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: race · lash · degree · scale · spring · row · firm · mate

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. scale — in music
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. row — a line
  6. scale — size or range
  7. degree — temperature
  8. firm — a company
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mate — a friend
  12. row — to paddle
  13. degree — an amount
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. degree — from a university
  16. race — a contest
  17. mate — a partner
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spring — of water
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. mate — to breed
  24. race — humankind

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