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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. degree — an amount
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. pop — soda
  5. toast — bread
  6. degree — from a university
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. degree — temperature
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. net — in sport
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mug — a face
  20. pop — music
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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