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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. current — of water
  5. net — after costs
  6. bound — obliged
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. current — electric
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bound — certain
  11. degree — temperature
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. net — for catching
  15. degree — from a university
  16. current — happening now
  17. bound — tied together
  18. toast — bread
  19. degree — an amount
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — in traffic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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