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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. degree — an amount
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. foot — a measure
  5. degree — temperature
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. degree — from a university
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. field — a subject
  11. dip — to sink
  12. field — farmland
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. season — in sport
  15. field — for sport
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. season — of the year
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. scale — size or range
  24. prune — the fruit

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