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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.

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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. net — for catching
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mark — a trace
  9. snap — to click
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. net — in sport
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. current — happening now
  16. degree — an amount
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. current — electric
  20. sharp — clever
  21. current — of water
  22. net — after costs
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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