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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bat · degree · last · fork · cap · ball · can · wave

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. last — to go on
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. ball — a dance
  8. last — finally
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cap — of ice
  16. ball — a great time
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. last — final
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. ball — a round shape

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