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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. net — for catching
  3. pass — a permit
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. net — after costs
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. capital — a city
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. net — in sport
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. mug — a face
  21. field — for sport
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a big letter

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