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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · degree · mate · can · court · fine · nail · bat

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mate — to breed
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. court — of a king
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cell — in biology
  12. can — to be able to
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. court — of law
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mate — a friend
  18. court — for sport
  19. fine — all right
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. can — a tin
  22. cell — a phone
  23. can — a tin
  24. fine — high quality

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