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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. land — ground
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. swing — to play on
  7. land — to come down
  8. degree — temperature
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rash — a series
  13. land — a country
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mark — a grade
  18. swing — in golf
  19. degree — from a university
  20. press — to push
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bear — the animal
  23. swing — music
  24. bear — to put up with

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