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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 116 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.

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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spell — magic
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. degree — an amount
  7. firm — steady
  8. degree — temperature
  9. object — a thing
  10. bear — the animal
  11. object — to protest
  12. net — for catching
  13. spell — letters
  14. net — after costs
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — a company
  17. spell — a short time
  18. object — an aim

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