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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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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. net — after costs
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. spring — the season
  5. degree — from a university
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. net — in sport
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. net — for catching
  11. degree — temperature
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. firm — decided
  14. spring — of water
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. firm — a company
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bat — the animal
  22. degree — an amount
  23. firm — steady
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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