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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. wake — a trail
  3. firm — a company
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. net — after costs
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. chip — for betting
  12. firm — decided
  13. object — to protest
  14. sharp — clever
  15. net — for catching
  16. degree — temperature
  17. firm — steady
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. net — in sport
  20. degree — an amount
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chip — to eat
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wake — before a funeral

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