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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. capital — money
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. degree — temperature
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. capital — a city
  10. bark — to shout
  11. mug — a face
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. degree — from a university
  14. object — to protest
  15. mug — a cup
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. object — an aim
  18. net — after costs
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. object — a thing
  22. mug — to rob
  23. degree — an amount
  24. net — in sport

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