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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. track — a song
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. land — to come down
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. land — a country
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. degree — from a university
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. land — ground
  16. present — there
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. track — a path
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. present — a gift
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spell — letters
  24. present — the time now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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