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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lean — to bend
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. chip — for betting
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. net — after costs
  21. chip — to eat
  22. lean — thin
  23. net — for catching
  24. degree — from a university

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