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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. file — a line of people
  3. net — for catching
  4. degree — an amount
  5. spell — magic
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. net — in sport
  10. file — a tool
  11. degree — from a university
  12. wind — moving air
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wind — moving air
  15. net — after costs
  16. degree — temperature
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. firm — a company
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. file — a document
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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