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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. chip — for betting
  6. root — the cause
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. chip — to eat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bound — obliged
  24. degree — an amount

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