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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. drill — army training
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. drill — a practice
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. tube — the underground
  8. degree — an amount
  9. charge — electricity
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. charge — in control
  13. bulb — for light
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — a country
  17. charge — a price
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. degree — temperature
  21. tube — a container
  22. mine — for digging
  23. land — ground
  24. degree — from a university

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