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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 120 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. board — to get on
  5. bass — low music
  6. mug — to rob
  7. degree — temperature
  8. net — in sport
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. net — after costs
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. board — a committee
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. chest — of your body
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. chest — a box
  20. net — for catching
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wind — moving air
  23. degree — from a university
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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