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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. degree — temperature
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wind — moving air
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bank — for money
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bank — of a river
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. spring — of water
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. degree — from a university
  16. spring — the season
  17. bank — for money
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wind — moving air
  20. spring — a coil
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pop — music
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. ruler — for measuring

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