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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. net — for catching
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. last — final
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. degree — an amount
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. ball — a great time
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. degree — from a university
  16. last — to go on
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. net — in sport
  21. foot — a measure
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. net — after costs
  24. degree — temperature

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