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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · row · band · race · cue · charge · suit · land

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. land — to come down
  3. race — a contest
  4. band — a ring
  5. degree — from a university
  6. charge — a price
  7. suit — in cards
  8. row — a line
  9. charge — electricity
  10. land — a country
  11. cue — for pool
  12. charge — in control
  13. degree — an amount
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. race — humankind
  18. land — ground
  19. degree — temperature
  20. band — a music group
  21. row — to paddle
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. suit — clothes
  24. row — a quarrel

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