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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: last · charge · foot · degree · net · racket · race · key

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. net — after costs
  3. charge — electricity
  4. race — the arms race
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. key — for a lock
  7. last — finally
  8. race — a contest
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. net — in sport
  11. charge — a price
  12. last — final
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. degree — temperature
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. charge — in control
  19. last — to go on
  20. net — for catching
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. foot — a measure

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