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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: foot · degree · race · bulb · ruler · tube · season · mate

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. degree — from a university
  5. race — a contest
  6. tube — a container
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. season — in sport
  9. mate — a friend
  10. race — humankind
  11. foot — a measure
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mate — to breed
  16. season — of the year
  17. degree — an amount
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. degree — temperature

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