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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. clip — a video
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. degree — an amount
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mate — to breed
  8. clip — for paper
  9. object — an aim
  10. staff — employees
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mate — a partner
  13. degree — from a university
  14. object — a thing
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. staff — a stick
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cap — of ice
  21. object — to protest
  22. clip — to cut
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. staff — employees

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