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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: kid · pop · lean · race · fine · degree · ball · deal

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pop — soda
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pop — music
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. degree — temperature
  8. ball — a dance
  9. race — humankind
  10. fine — all right
  11. kid — child
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pop — to visit
  15. degree — from a university
  16. fine — high quality
  17. race — a contest
  18. kid — to tease
  19. lean — thin
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. lean — to bend
  24. degree — an amount

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