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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. degree — temperature
  7. object — a thing
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. lean — to bend
  10. ground — a position
  11. date — the fruit
  12. degree — an amount
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. lean — thin
  23. degree — from a university
  24. mark — a trace

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