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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. degree — temperature
  4. mark — a trace
  5. plane — a tool
  6. kid — to tease
  7. toast — bread
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fine — all right
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. degree — an amount
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. ground — crushed
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fine — high quality
  19. degree — from a university
  20. ground — a position
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. kid — child
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pitcher — a jug

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