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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. net — for catching
  5. object — a thing
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. degree — from a university
  8. current — happening now
  9. degree — temperature
  10. current — of water
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. object — to protest
  14. net — after costs
  15. current — electric
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. object — an aim
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. net — in sport
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. degree — an amount

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