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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — temperature
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. row — a line
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mine — for digging
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. present — there
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. saw — the tool
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. degree — from a university
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mine — an explosive

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