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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 120 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chest — of your body
  6. object — to protest
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. degree — an amount
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. degree — temperature
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chest — a box
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. sharp — clever

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