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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: degree · race · fork · arm · field · row · jam · rush

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. jam — to spread on bread
  2. race — the arms race
  3. row — to paddle
  4. field — for sport
  5. degree — temperature
  6. fork — in a road
  7. row — a line
  8. degree — an amount
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. race — humankind
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. degree — from a university
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rush — hurry
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. field — farmland
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. race — a contest
  21. field — a subject
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. arm — part of the body
  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