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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · wave · object · bowl · toast · snap

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. object — an aim
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. degree — temperature
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. object — a thing
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. toast — bread
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. object — to protest
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. degree — from a university
  16. snap — to click
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bowl — to roll

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