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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. object — an aim
  3. degree — an amount
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. net — for catching
  6. object — to protest
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bound — certain
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. object — a thing
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bound — tied together
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. degree — from a university
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wind — moving air
  20. net — after costs
  21. suit — to fit
  22. net — in sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. degree — temperature

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