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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. degree — an amount
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bass — low music
  6. cap — a lid
  7. spring — of water
  8. bank — for money
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. degree — from a university
  13. plane — a tool
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rest — what's left
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bank — of a river
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cap — a hat
  20. track — a path
  21. spring — the season
  22. track — a song
  23. bank — for money
  24. bass — the fish

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