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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. degree — from a university
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tube — the underground
  11. band — a ring
  12. degree — temperature
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. degree — an amount
  16. band — a music group
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. pop — music
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pop — to visit

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