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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. object — a thing
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. drill — the tool
  8. dip — to sink
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. degree — an amount
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. object — an aim
  14. degree — from a university
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. drill — a practice
  17. object — to protest
  18. drill — army training

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