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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. bass — low music
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. degree — from a university
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. dip — to sink
  16. degree — an amount
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. net — in sport
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. craft — boats
  23. degree — temperature
  24. rush — hurry

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