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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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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: bore · arm · current · rest · bowl · race · track · degree

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. degree — an amount
  3. current — happening now
  4. rest — what's left
  5. track — a song
  6. rest — what's left
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. degree — temperature
  10. track — to keep track
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. bore — to tire
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rest — a break
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. race — the arms race
  22. track — a path
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bore — to drill

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