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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: bear · ruler · bowl · degree · pop · mine · coach · track

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pop — music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pop — soda
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. track — a path
  11. degree — from a university
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mine — for digging

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