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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. object — an aim
  6. dip — to sink
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rash — a series
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. degree — from a university
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. object — to protest
  22. degree — an amount
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. object — a thing

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