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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bass — low music
  5. degree — temperature
  6. shower — rain
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bass — the fish
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. degree — from a university
  12. object — an aim
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. court — of a king
  15. foot — a measure
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — to protest
  19. degree — an amount
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. court — of law
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. shower — to wash
  24. court — for sport

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