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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: suit · degree · race · staff · trunk · sharp · mark · bay

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mark — a grade
  3. degree — from a university
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. staff — a stick
  9. suit — clothes
  10. race — a contest
  11. degree — temperature
  12. suit — in cards
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. staff — employees
  17. suit — to fit
  18. degree — an amount
  19. race — humankind
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. staff — employees
  22. race — the arms race
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mark — to pay attention

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