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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. board — to get on
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. staff — employees
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rest — a break
  12. net — after costs
  13. degree — from a university
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. staff — employees
  17. rest — what's left
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. content — happy
  21. pop — soda
  22. rest — what's left
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rush — a thrill

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