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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. degree — an amount
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. track — a song
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. track — to keep track
  13. last — to go on
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. degree — from a university
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. chip — to eat
  23. track — a path
  24. fan — a supporter

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