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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. degree — from a university
  3. wound — an injury
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stock — shares
  8. perch — the fish
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mug — a cup
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stock — goods
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mug — a face
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mug — to rob

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