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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. land — to come down
  3. degree — temperature
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. deal — to handle
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. march — the month
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bear — the animal
  20. degree — an amount
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. deal — a big deal

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