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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bank — of a river
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. object — a thing
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. chest — a box
  15. object — an aim
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bank — for money
  20. chest — of your body
  21. object — to protest
  22. bank — for money
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. racket — for tennis

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