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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. cell — in biology
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. net — for catching
  13. perch — the fish
  14. degree — temperature
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. degree — from a university
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. degree — an amount
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. cell — a phone

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