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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 124 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. can — a tin
  3. fork — in a road
  4. net — for catching
  5. degree — temperature
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. club — a group
  10. spell — a short time
  11. club — for golf
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. net — after costs
  14. can — a tin
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. club — for dancing
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. degree — from a university
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. can — to be able to
  23. net — in sport
  24. degree — an amount

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