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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. spell — letters
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. object — an aim
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wax — to grow
  13. object — to protest
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. object — a thing
  17. degree — from a university
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. spell — magic
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. spell — a short time
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. stand — to bear

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