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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. spring — of water
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. present — there
  10. craft — boats
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. net — for catching
  15. pass — a permit
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. present — a gift
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. present — the time now
  21. degree — temperature
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. degree — from a university
  24. craft — a skill

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