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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. staff — employees
  11. degree — from a university
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mate — a friend
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. fork — in a road
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. staff — employees

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