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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. degree — an amount
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. degree — from a university
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kick — in football
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. drill — army training
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. root — the cause
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. root — of a word

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