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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. dip — to sink
  3. tube — a container
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. degree — an amount
  6. board — to get on
  7. tube — the underground
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. season — of the year
  17. rush — hurry
  18. object — an aim
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. board — a committee
  24. season — in sport

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