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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 120 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. degree — from a university
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. deal — to handle
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mine — for digging
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rock — a stone
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rock — music
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mate — a partner
  24. foot — the bottom

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