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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. can — a tin
  3. rock — music
  4. spring — a coil
  5. can — to be able to
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. spring — of water
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. roll — a cake
  10. spring — the season
  11. suit — clothes
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. degree — from a university
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. can — a tin
  16. rock — a stone
  17. suit — to fit
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. degree — an amount
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. roll — a list

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