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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stock — goods
  5. net — for catching
  6. degree — temperature
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bark — to shout
  10. degree — an amount
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mug — a face
  19. stock — shares
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mug — a cup
  24. net — after costs

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