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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — an amount
  3. charge — in control
  4. cap — a hat
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cap — a lid
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. degree — from a university
  10. kick — in football
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cap — of ice
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. charge — a price
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wax — to grow
  23. charge — electricity
  24. kick — with a leg

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