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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 116 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: land · degree · race · mark · racket · patient · suit · sharp

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. land — ground
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. suit — to fit
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. suit — clothes
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mark — a trace
  13. land — to come down
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. race — a contest
  16. mark — a grade
  17. sharp — clever
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. land — a country
  21. race — the arms race
  22. suit — in cards
  23. degree — an amount
  24. patient — a sick person

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