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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. suit — to fit
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. suit — clothes
  13. shower — rain
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. degree — an amount
  16. net — after costs
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. net — in sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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