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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. roll — a list
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. field — a subject
  10. degree — from a university
  11. field — for sport
  12. mug — to rob
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. roll — a cake
  17. field — farmland
  18. mug — a face
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mug — a cup
  24. roll — on a roll

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