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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 116 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. can — a tin
  4. mark — a trace
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bear — the animal
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. can — a tin
  13. land — ground
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mark — a grade
  18. degree — an amount
  19. land — to come down
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. degree — from a university
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ruler — for measuring

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