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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. land — ground
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. present — there
  8. land — a country
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. degree — an amount
  11. present — a gift
  12. key — for a lock
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. land — to come down
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. degree — temperature
  20. deal — to handle
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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