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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. track — a path
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cap — a hat
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bear — the animal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mug — a cup
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bear — the animal
  18. shower — rain
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mug — a face
  21. track — a song
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mug — to rob
  24. can — a tin

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