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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. staff — a stick
  3. object — to protest
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. bulb — for light
  7. court — of a king
  8. object — a thing
  9. mate — a partner
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. bulb — for light
  13. degree — temperature
  14. object — an aim
  15. land — to come down
  16. staff — employees
  17. can — to be able to
  18. staff — employees
  19. mate — a friend
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mate — to breed
  24. can — a tin

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