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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. capital — a city
  5. degree — temperature
  6. land — a country
  7. firm — decided
  8. land — to come down
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bear — the animal
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bear — the animal
  20. firm — a company
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. degree — an amount
  24. land — ground

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