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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. net — for catching
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. net — in sport
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stock — goods
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. stock — shares
  16. foot — a measure
  17. plane — a tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. degree — temperature
  22. net — after costs
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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