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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. fork — to eat with
  2. land — a country
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. degree — temperature
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. degree — an amount
  9. land — to come down
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. land — ground
  12. degree — from a university
  13. sharp — clever
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. object — an aim
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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