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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 120 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
468
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 · rash · rush · pit · race · bat · pass · fine

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. degree — from a university
  4. race — humankind
  5. fine — all right
  6. rash — hasty
  7. race — the arms race
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. race — a contest
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bat — the animal

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