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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. degree — an amount
  5. land — ground
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. club — a group
  13. bear — the animal
  14. degree — from a university
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. club — for dancing
  19. content — the amount
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bear — the animal
  22. content — happy
  23. club — for golf
  24. bear — to put up with

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