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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. degree — an amount
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chair — a leader
  12. firm — steady
  13. bulb — for light
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bulb — for light
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. chair — a professorship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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