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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. present — the time now
  3. sharp — clever
  4. degree — from a university
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. degree — an amount
  7. deal — to handle
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. present — a gift
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. can — a tin
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cap — a lid
  19. degree — temperature
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. can — a tin
  24. present — there

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