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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rule — government
  6. march — the month
  7. chip — to eat
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. key — in music
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. degree — an amount
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. march — music
  23. rule — a law
  24. march — the month

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