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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. swing — in golf
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. track — a path
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. dip — to sink
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. track — to keep track
  12. hand — in cards
  13. swing — to play on
  14. charge — in control
  15. bulb — for light
  16. degree — from a university
  17. track — a song
  18. swing — music
  19. charge — electricity
  20. hand — help
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bulb — for light
  24. charge — a price

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