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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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Word bank
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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. net — for catching
  4. craft — a skill
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. cue — a hint
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. degree — temperature
  9. kick — in football
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. net — after costs
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. cue — a signal
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. suit — clothes
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cue — for pool
  20. suit — in cards
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. craft — boats
  24. net — in sport

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