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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. court — of law
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mug — to rob
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. court — of a king
  7. object — to protest
  8. chip — to eat
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. degree — an amount
  16. object — an aim
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mug — a face
  19. degree — from a university
  20. object — a thing
  21. court — for sport
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. can — a tin
  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