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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. charge — a price
  5. bear — the animal
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. charge — electricity
  9. content — the amount
  10. land — ground
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cue — a signal
  16. content — happy
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cue — a hint
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cue — for pool
  23. charge — in control
  24. degree — temperature

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