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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. degree — from a university
  3. pop — soda
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pop — to visit
  10. hand — help
  11. can — a tin
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. net — after costs
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pop — music
  17. net — in sport
  18. can — to be able to
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. can — a tin
  24. net — for catching

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