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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bass — low music
  10. hand — help
  11. vault — a safe
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fork — in a road
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rock — music
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bass — the instrument

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