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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. degree — from a university
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bank — for money
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. club — a group
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bank — for money
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. club — for golf
  17. mark — a trace
  18. net — in sport
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bank — of a river
  22. club — for dancing
  23. net — after costs
  24. racket — for tennis

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