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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bear — the animal
  3. club — for dancing
  4. degree — an amount
  5. tube — a container
  6. net — for catching
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. present — the time now
  10. club — a group
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. present — there
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. tube — the underground
  20. degree — temperature
  21. present — a gift
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. club — for golf

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