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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. degree — temperature
  3. present — there
  4. ground — the earth
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. season — in sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. net — for catching
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. saw — the tool
  14. net — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. net — after costs
  17. season — of the year
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bank — for money
  20. degree — from a university
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. bank — of a river
  24. present — a gift

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