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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. net — in sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. toast — bread
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bass — low music
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. net — for catching
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. net — after costs
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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