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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pop — music
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. net — after costs
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. firm — steady
  9. kick — in football
  10. pop — to visit
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. net — in sport
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. net — for catching
  17. firm — a company
  18. degree — an amount
  19. pop — soda
  20. wax — to grow
  21. firm — decided
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. wax — in the ear

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