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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. clip — for paper
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mark — a trace
  19. degree — an amount
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. clip — a video
  24. degree — from a university

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