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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: dip · degree · wound · ball · ground · staff · stand · race

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. degree — an amount
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wound — an injury
  5. race — humankind
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ground — the earth
  9. staff — employees
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. degree — from a university
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ground — a position
  15. degree — temperature
  16. staff — employees
  17. dip — to sink
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wound — an injury
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. race — a contest
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. ball — a dance
  24. race — the arms race

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