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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: mark · wake · degree · race · cabinet · present · pitch · club

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. degree — an amount
  8. present — a gift
  9. club — a group
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mark — a grade
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. wake — a trail
  17. present — there
  18. degree — from a university
  19. club — for golf
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. race — a contest
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. degree — temperature
  24. present — the time now

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