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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bear — the animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fine — high quality
  5. degree — from a university
  6. spring — of water
  7. chip — to eat
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. spring — the season
  10. cue — for pool
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. spring — a coil
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fine — all right
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. cue — a hint
  20. degree — an amount
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. cue — a signal

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