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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. net — after costs
  5. deal — to handle
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. present — a gift
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. net — for catching
  15. object — a thing
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. present — there
  21. degree — temperature
  22. object — to protest
  23. net — in sport
  24. present — the time now

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