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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 120 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mate — a friend
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mark — a trace
  7. can — to be able to
  8. root — of a plant
  9. ball — a dance
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. degree — an amount
  13. mark — a grade
  14. hand — help
  15. can — a tin
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. can — a tin
  21. mate — a partner
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fan — a supporter

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