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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bound — obliged
  4. degree — an amount
  5. net — after costs
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. degree — temperature
  10. season — in sport
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. craft — boats
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. season — of the year
  15. bound — tied together
  16. degree — from a university
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bound — certain
  21. net — for catching
  22. firm — decided
  23. net — in sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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