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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. present — there
  11. content — the amount
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. content — happy
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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