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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. degree — an amount
  3. suit — clothes
  4. degree — from a university
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. net — after costs
  9. tube — the underground
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. net — in sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. net — for catching

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