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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bark — to shout
  3. object — an aim
  4. net — for catching
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. degree — an amount
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. object — to protest
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fork — in a road
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bass — low music
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rock — music
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. net — after costs
  22. object — a thing
  23. wound — an injury
  24. degree — from a university

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