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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 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cap — a hat
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mug — a face
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. degree — from a university
  10. mug — to rob
  11. scale — size or range
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mug — a cup
  17. degree — an amount
  18. scale — in music

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