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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. last — to go on
  3. net — in sport
  4. degree — temperature
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bank — of a river
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bank — for money
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. last — final
  16. march — music
  17. last — finally
  18. degree — an amount
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. chip — to eat
  21. net — after costs
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bank — for money
  24. plane — a tool

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