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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pit — a hole
  6. face — to point toward
  7. object — to protest
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. face — to confront
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. object — an aim
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. object — a thing
  20. saw — the tool
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. degree — from a university
  24. spring — of water

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