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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. club — a group
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mug — a face
  5. land — to come down
  6. pit — in a race
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. bear — the animal
  10. degree — temperature
  11. land — a country
  12. net — after costs
  13. bear — the animal
  14. net — in sport
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. degree — an amount
  20. net — for catching
  21. degree — from a university
  22. mug — to rob
  23. current — happening now
  24. mug — a cup

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