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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: toast · jam · racket · perch · last · cap · degree · ball

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cap — a hat
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cap — of ice
  6. degree — an amount
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. perch — the fish
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. degree — from a university
  14. ball — a dance
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. ball — a great time
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. toast — bread
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. last — finally
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cap — a lid

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