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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 124 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pop — music
  4. tube — the underground
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. tube — a container
  8. degree — an amount
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pop — to visit
  13. court — of law
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mate — to breed
  17. court — of a king
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pop — soda
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mate — a friend
  24. court — for sport

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