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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: stand · degree · fork · mug · race · straw · fine · rock

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mug — a cup
  5. race — the arms race
  6. mug — to rob
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. race — humankind
  10. fine — all right
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. race — a contest
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. degree — from a university
  18. stand — to bear
  19. degree — temperature
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mug — a face
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rock — a stone

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