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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.

Make a worksheet

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: degree · object · fine · racket · jam · mine · roll · bowl

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. object — a thing
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. roll — a list
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. fine — high quality
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. degree — an amount

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