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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. scale — size or range
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. roll — a list
  13. degree — from a university
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wax — to grow
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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