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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. snap — to click
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wax — to grow
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stand — to bear
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wax — for sculpting

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