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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 116 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. net — in sport
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bat — the animal
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. dip — to sink
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. current — happening now
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. dip — to dunk

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