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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spring — the season
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. season — of the year
  8. mine — for digging
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. season — in sport
  12. spring — a coil
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. degree — from a university
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. degree — an amount
  18. spring — of water
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fine — all right
  24. calf — a young animal

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