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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. degree — temperature
  6. object — an aim
  7. degree — an amount
  8. ground — a position
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. degree — from a university
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. cap — a hat
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. last — to go on
  16. ground — crushed
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cap — of ice
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. ground — the earth
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. cap — a lid

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