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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 120 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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. firm — decided
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. firm — steady
  6. degree — an amount
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. firm — a company
  24. bowl — to roll

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