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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. row — a line
  4. net — for catching
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. object — an aim
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bound — certain
  13. object — to protest
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. deal — to handle
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. object — a thing
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bound — obliged
  23. row — to paddle
  24. net — after costs

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