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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rush — hurry
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rock — a stone
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rock — music
  14. can — a tin
  15. drill — army training
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. degree — from a university

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