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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bank — for money
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — from a university
  7. object — a thing
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. chair — a leader
  10. object — to protest
  11. tear — from crying
  12. object — an aim
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bank — for money
  20. tear — to rip
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bank — of a river
  24. ball — a round shape

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