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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. can — a tin
  3. degree — from a university
  4. track — a path
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. march — the month
  8. track — to keep track
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. degree — temperature
  12. march — music
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. degree — an amount
  16. land — ground
  17. bear — the animal
  18. land — to come down
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. land — a country
  22. track — a song
  23. can — a tin
  24. safe — a strongbox

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