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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — an amount
  3. dip — to sink
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. track — a song
  8. degree — from a university
  9. track — a path
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. track — to keep track
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mate — a partner
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stand — to bear

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