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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fine — all right
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bass — low music
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fine — high quality
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bass — the fish

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