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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 · stem · track · swing · key · spell · pit

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. track — to keep track
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — humankind
  5. pit — a hole
  6. degree — temperature
  7. track — a song
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. key — in music
  16. spell — letters
  17. pit — in a race
  18. swing — in golf
  19. key — the most important part
  20. race — a contest
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. degree — an amount
  23. track — a path
  24. stem — to come from

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