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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. can — to be able to
  3. land — ground
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. degree — from a university
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. land — a country
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cue — a hint
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. can — a tin
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cue — for pool
  20. can — a tin
  21. cue — a signal
  22. foot — a measure
  23. degree — an amount
  24. land — to come down

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