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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. degree — from a university
  4. court — of law
  5. bank — for money
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. face — to confront
  13. bank — of a river
  14. face — to point toward
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. court — for sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. face — part of the head
  23. plane — a tool
  24. court — of a king

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