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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cap — a hat
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. vault — a safe
  6. board — to get on
  7. present — the time now
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. present — there
  11. bat — the animal
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cap — a lid
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. dip — to sink
  19. degree — from a university
  20. cap — of ice
  21. present — a gift
  22. suit — in cards
  23. board — a committee
  24. degree — an amount

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