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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. degree — temperature
  3. fall — the season
  4. degree — from a university
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. degree — an amount
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fall — to drop
  12. can — to be able to
  13. land — a country
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. fall — to drop
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. can — a tin
  19. land — ground
  20. can — a tin
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. tube — in a tire

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