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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. net — for catching
  4. game — wild animals
  5. net — in sport
  6. firm — steady
  7. foot — a measure
  8. degree — an amount
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. season — in sport
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. season — of the year
  18. game — a match
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. degree — from a university
  22. net — after costs
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. foot — the bottom

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