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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 124 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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bear — the animal
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. land — ground
  15. march — the month
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pound — a weight
  18. land — a country
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. land — to come down
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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