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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bound — obliged
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. degree — from a university
  6. scale — in music
  7. degree — temperature
  8. scale — size or range
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bound — certain
  12. land — ground
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. degree — an amount
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mark — a trace
  18. craft — boats
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. land — to come down
  24. bound — tied together

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