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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bank — of a river
  3. key — in music
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. band — a music group
  7. field — for sport
  8. degree — an amount
  9. field — a subject
  10. key — for a lock
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mate — a friend
  13. degree — from a university
  14. band — a ring
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. field — farmland
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bank — for money
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. key — the most important part
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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