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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · stick · rash · can · saw · degree · mouse · pit

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. land — a country
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pit — in a race
  5. degree — an amount
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rash — a series
  10. land — to come down
  11. saw — the tool
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rash — hasty
  16. land — ground
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. can — a tin
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mouse — the animal

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