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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rest — what's left
  4. degree — from a university
  5. can — a tin
  6. bound — tied together
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bound — obliged
  14. can — a tin
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wax — to grow
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bound — certain
  22. rest — a break
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. racket — for tennis

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