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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bank — for money
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. can — to be able to
  7. ground — a position
  8. can — a tin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. degree — temperature
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cap — a lid
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. can — a tin
  22. bank — for money
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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