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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. lie — to recline
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. court — for sport
  10. game — a match
  11. degree — from a university
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rash — a series
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rash — hasty
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. game — wild animals

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