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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. field — for sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. degree — temperature
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rest — what's left
  14. degree — an amount
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rest — what's left
  17. craft — boats
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. current — happening now
  20. degree — from a university
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rest — a break
  24. calf — a young animal

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