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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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Word bank
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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 · pop · toast · bowl · trunk · last · saw · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. degree — an amount
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pop — to visit
  7. present — a gift
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. saw — the tool
  10. present — there
  11. pop — soda
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. last — final
  14. degree — temperature
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. degree — from a university
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. last — finally
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. pop — music
  23. last — to go on
  24. bowl — a dish

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