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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. degree — from a university
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. degree — an amount
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. drill — a practice
  16. degree — temperature
  17. drill — army training
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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