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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. ground — a position
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. degree — from a university
  5. craft — boats
  6. ground — crushed
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. shower — to wash
  9. present — the time now
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. shower — rain
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. ground — the earth
  22. charge — electricity
  23. craft — a skill
  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