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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. degree — an amount
  4. court — of a king
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cue — a hint
  8. object — an aim
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cue — a signal
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pound — a weight
  16. court — of law
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. degree — from a university
  20. court — for sport
  21. object — to protest
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. object — a thing

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