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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. scale — in music
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bear — the animal
  10. object — to protest
  11. mine — for digging
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mark — a grade
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. object — an aim
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. object — a thing
  24. arm — a part of something

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