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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 · suit · straw · racket · rush · fall · fine · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rush — hurry
  3. suit — to fit
  4. degree — an amount
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. degree — temperature
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. race — a contest
  14. fine — high quality
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. suit — clothes
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fine — all right
  20. race — humankind
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. suit — in cards

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