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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: race · cabinet · bulb · degree · swing · pass · mark · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mark — a trace
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pass — a permit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bulb — for light
  15. degree — from a university
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. degree — temperature
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. swing — music
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — humankind
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mark — a grade

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