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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: mark · cabinet · degree · race · leaves · ruler · row · saw

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. degree — temperature
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. row — to paddle
  10. race — a contest
  11. degree — from a university
  12. race — humankind
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. degree — an amount
  20. row — a line
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mark — a trace
  24. leaves — to go away

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