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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. club — for golf
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. object — to protest
  8. degree — an amount
  9. club — a group
  10. degree — from a university
  11. object — a thing
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. race — a contest
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. race — humankind
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pass — a permit
  24. object — an aim

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