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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spell — letters
  11. object — a thing
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. object — an aim
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bear — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. can — a tin
  22. spell — magic
  23. bear — the animal
  24. object — to protest

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