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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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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. kick — in football
  3. can — a tin
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. degree — an amount
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mark — a trace
  11. land — to come down
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. degree — temperature
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. degree — from a university
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. can — a tin
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mark — a grade
  23. land — ground
  24. can — to be able to

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