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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 116 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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. net — for catching
  3. season — in sport
  4. cap — a lid
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. net — in sport
  7. degree — from a university
  8. key — in music
  9. ball — a dance
  10. degree — an amount
  11. land — a country
  12. key — the most important part
  13. net — after costs
  14. cap — a hat
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cap — of ice
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stock — shares
  19. land — ground
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. season — of the year
  22. land — to come down
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stock — goods

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