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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bark — to shout
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — decided
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. firm — a company
  7. shower — rain
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. degree — an amount
  13. mug — to rob
  14. deal — to handle
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. shower — to wash
  24. degree — from a university

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