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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. degree — temperature
  5. firm — decided
  6. lie — to recline
  7. degree — from a university
  8. firm — a company
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mug — to rob
  13. game — wild animals
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. degree — an amount
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. firm — steady
  19. mug — a face
  20. present — the time now
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. racket — for tennis

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