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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. firm — steady
  3. stock — goods
  4. mug — a cup
  5. degree — temperature
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. land — to come down
  10. mug — a face
  11. stock — shares
  12. land — ground
  13. bulb — for light
  14. scale — size or range
  15. degree — an amount
  16. firm — decided
  17. mug — to rob
  18. firm — a company
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bulb — for light
  23. degree — from a university
  24. scale — in music

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