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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. object — to protest
  3. track — a song
  4. wind — moving air
  5. track — to keep track
  6. degree — from a university
  7. track — a path
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. object — a thing
  16. cue — a signal
  17. object — an aim
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. row — a line
  24. wind — to turn a key

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