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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.

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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 · file · mark · race · swing · cue · saw · bay

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. cue — for pool
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mark — a trace
  5. file — a tool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. race — a contest
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. degree — temperature
  15. saw — the tool
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cue — a hint
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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