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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. deal — to handle
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. roll — a list
  7. track — a path
  8. board — to get on
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. net — after costs
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. hand — in cards
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. hand — help
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. board — a committee

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