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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. net — for catching
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bear — the animal
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. season — of the year
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. roll — a list
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. degree — an amount
  14. season — in sport
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. degree — temperature
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. suit — in cards
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bear — to put up with

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