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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bear — the animal
  11. band — a ring
  12. degree — from a university
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fall — the season
  15. pop — soda
  16. bear — the animal
  17. band — a music group
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fall — to drop

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