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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. suit — clothes
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bank — for money
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. suit — in cards
  9. degree — an amount
  10. shower — rain
  11. mark — a trace
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bank — for money
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pound — a weight
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bank — of a river
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mark — a grade

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