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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ground — crushed
  3. degree — temperature
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bear — the animal
  8. degree — an amount
  9. date — the fruit
  10. degree — from a university
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. ground — a position
  13. shower — to wash
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. shower — rain
  18. ground — the earth
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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