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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. degree — temperature
  4. object — a thing
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. object — to protest
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. object — an aim
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rock — a stone
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rock — music
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ground — crushed
  20. degree — an amount
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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