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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. band — a music group
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. degree — from a university
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. degree — an amount
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. band — a ring
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. fork — in a road

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