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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tube — the underground
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. can — a tin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. can — to be able to
  10. swing — in golf
  11. land — a country
  12. degree — an amount
  13. land — to come down
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. tube — a container
  16. swing — to play on
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. can — a tin
  21. hand — help
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. swing — music
  24. land — ground

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