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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. staff — employees
  3. net — after costs
  4. face — to point toward
  5. degree — an amount
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. degree — from a university
  10. face — to confront
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. staff — a stick
  19. charge — in control
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. face — part of the head
  22. staff — employees
  23. pound — a weight
  24. net — in sport

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