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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 116 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spring — the season
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. degree — temperature
  8. suit — in cards
  9. degree — from a university
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. net — in sport
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. net — after costs
  20. wake — a trail
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. suit — to fit
  24. degree — an amount

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