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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. scale — in music
  3. degree — from a university
  4. lean — thin
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. mate — to breed
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mate — a partner

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