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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 124 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. degree — from a university
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. capital — a city
  10. bass — low music
  11. capital — money
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mouse — the animal

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