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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. toast — bread
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cell — in biology
  8. degree — an amount
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. spring — of water
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mark — a grade
  19. spring — a coil
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spring — the season
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rock — music

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