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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: degree · racket · foot · current · firm · race · wind · sharp

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. sharp — clever
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. race — humankind
  7. degree — temperature
  8. current — electric
  9. degree — from a university
  10. firm — steady
  11. wind — moving air
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. degree — an amount
  15. foot — a measure
  16. current — happening now
  17. wind — moving air
  18. firm — decided
  19. current — of water
  20. firm — a company
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. racket — for tennis

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