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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. season — of the year
  3. degree — temperature
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. season — in sport
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fall — the season
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. degree — from a university
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. kid — to tease
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. kid — child
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. suit — in cards
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. suit — clothes

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