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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. craft — a skill
  3. degree — from a university
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. file — a document
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. net — for catching
  9. mark — a grade
  10. craft — boats
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. file — a tool
  17. net — after costs
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. degree — an amount
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mark — a trace
  22. net — in sport
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. degree — temperature

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